Bat Control & Removal

Bat Info: There are a wide variety of bat species in the US, though it's usually the colonizing bats that cause problems in buildings. Bats are not flying mice, or rodents. They are more closely related to shrews or primates. Though bats often get a bad reputation, they are not aggressive, and are often very beneficial in eliminating insects. Bats are not blind. They can see just fine, but they also use echolocation as a

means of navigating complex flight and finding insects on the wing. A bat's wings are essentially the same as our arms and hands, thus the scientific name Chiroptera or handwing. The bones of the hand and finger are elongated and serve to support and move the wing. The hind limbs of bats are modified for landing and hanging upside-down.

Bats become a nuisance when they roost in large numbers in human dwellings. The rapid and smelly accumulation of guano (droppings) is , and serves as a fertile breeding ground for a fungal disease called Histoplasmosis, which is transferable to humans who breathe in the fungal spores. Bats are also known to carry rabies, a viral disease that causes progressive paralysis and death in mammals, including humans. People are most likely to encounter nuisance bats when a roosting colony takes up residence in a building. Attics often make excellent habitat, as do barns. Bats need only a half inch or less of space to crawl through in order to enter a building. Once inside, if the habitat is good, the colony grows until the homeowner notices the bats flying out of the building, notices the droppings in the attic, chimney, outside, or even basement (when the droppings fall down the walls). Sometimes a bat will get lost and find its way out of the attic and into the living area. Occasionally a transient bay may also fly into a house. Getting rid of bats requires experience. The bat removal system ensures that the colony will no longer use your home or business as a roosting area, and that no bats can get back in. We care for the welfare of these beneficial creatures, as do many environmental agencies, so we do not aim to kill any bats. A pro merely exclude them from the premises and make sure they can't get back in, while thoroughly cleaning the biohazardous droppings that they leave behind. Experience counts when working on bat jobs, and it takes a skilled eye to get the job done right the first time.

Click here for my bat removal photo gallery.

Click here for my bat removal journal blog.

Wondering how to get rid of bats? There is no magic spray or device that you can use to make them go away. Some companies sell ultrasonic sound emitters, but they are completely ineffective, and the FTC has even issued a fraudulent product warning regarding these devices, which are worthless at eliminating bats. Some old wive's tales recommend the use of mothballs or ammonia-soaked rags to make them leave, but I've been to countless homes where these techniques failed - biologists know that these attempts won't work. The ONE AND ONLY WAY to take care of your problem is with physical exclusion of the animals. If you need to find a professional bat expert in your hometown, just click our comprehensive list of hundreds of wildlife removal professionals, and you can have your problem quickly taken care of!

Some of the topics covered by my bat journal blog include bat exclusion techniques, a discussion on why bat extermination is a bad idea, a good photo of bats in the house, some advice on how to get bats out of an attic, some advice on bat guano cleanup, including information about histoplasmosis from bats, information about the ineffectiveness of bat repellent, which is often misspelled as bat repellant, a great photo and info on a bat colony in an attic, and bat trapping, advice, which really means bat exclusion advice, rather than info on how to trap a bat and other info on how to solve a bat problem. I've also got a nice baby bat photograph and story, and info about a big problem in Florida, bats in barrel tile roof that my bat removal company can take care of. Bats are mammals, and they are valuable animals. Of course it is often necessary to get rid of bats in order to preserve the sanitation and health code of a building, but please do not harm these flying critters. The professional bat control companies listed in this directory should do a good job of safely removing the bat colony from your home or building.