Many people are afraid of bats. Whether the fear comes from an earlier encounter with a bat or from seeing too many old vampire movies, this aversion rarely is warranted. For the most part, bats are harmless. People who are bitten or scratched by a bat may become ill, but these encounters are infrequent.
Nonetheless, bats do sometimes roost in buildings. This can contribute to making people sick, and it certainly will result in some relatively extensive damage to the structure. Accordingly, it is wise to look for ways to exclude bats from the building.
Bat control is not as straightforward as it might appear. The animals are valuable pollinators. Moreover, they eat large amounts of insects, so they help to control the pest population.
Bats are so beneficial that state laws restrict how bat infestations are treated. Species like the little brown bat, big brown bat and the northern long-eared bat are endangered, so exterminators do everything in their power to remove and exclude bats from buildings rather than killing them. Relocating the bats ensures that they can continue to benefit the environment. Plus, pest management professionals will implement safeguards that make it impossible for bats to return to their former roost.
When bat infestations are underway, the building's human occupants are at risk of being exposed to bat waste products as well as being bitten or scratched. Roosting bats create unclean conditions in the structure, and this must be remedied. Pest control technicians find safe and effective ways to exclude bats and clean up the infested site to ensure that it can no longer make people sick.
WHAT DO BATS LOOK LIKE?
The little brown bat has nearly 40 razor-sharp teeth with elongated canines that help them to hunt on the fly. Covered in shiny fur, this bat has small ears and wing membranes that are dark brown. Adults may be between three and five inches long with wingspans of between nine and eleven inches. One-half ounce is a typical weight for a full-grown adult.
The larger big brown bat can weigh one-and-one-half ounces and measures five inches long. Wingspans of 13 inches are common with this species, and their shiny fur is similar in color to that of the little brown bat. In addition to its larger size, the big brown bat has fleshy lips, brown or black wing membranes and a wide nose.
With a typical body length of just over three inches, the northern long-eared bat falls between the other two species in terms of size. Like the other bats, this one is covered in dark brown fur. Its wingspan usually measures about ten inches, and this species can be identified by its oversized ears.
WHAT DO BATS EAT?
Many insects that people consider nuisances or outright pests are consumed every night by bats. Including species such as the mayfly, lacewing, gnat, mosquito, fly, moth, wasp and many others, the bat diet is enormously beneficial to the environment and helps to minimize the population of these pests. A lactating female bat may eat an amount equal to or greater than her body weight in one night while a male bat eats an average of half their body weight in the same time period.
WHERE DO BATS LIVE?
Bats are most frequently found roosting in caves, but their habitat choices can be surprisingly varied. For instance, some bats may be discovered roosting in a pile of lumber or beneath a sizable rock.
Roosting habitat is not always easy to find, so bats frequently are turning to man-made structures. Buildings offer many ideal roosting spots, which may allow the bats to occupy a structure for considerable time before their presence is noticed. Attics, chimneys and fireplaces are the most common roosting locations, but people may spot bats on overhangs of a building or behind open shutters. Sometimes, people can hear bats rustling around inside walls.
Wherever one bat is present, it is likely that many others are present. Bats tend to roost together, sharing body warmth. This is especially effective for protecting the animals when they hibernate in the winter.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY BATS
Bat urine and feces is incredibly caustic. Anything that is contacted by these waste products will sustain damage. It begins with a stain, but soon common construction materials like clay, brick and wood start deteriorating. The damage to insulation can be severe.
When bat infestations are caught early, the damage can be minimized. Long-standing infestations may require an extensive clean up as well as replacement of certain wooden and other components that were damaged by the uric acid in bat waste products.
When bat problems are large and widespread, it is common for people to notice a noxious odor that can be quite disturbing.
ARE BATS AGGRESSIVE?
Bats have very little interest in people, and they certainly are not predisposed toward attacking them. That said, bats can become quite agitated if they are trapped in a room with a person. This is when bites and scratches are most likely to occur. If people find a bat in a room, then the best thing to do is to open all exterior doors and windows to give the bat the opportunity to use its echolocation to find a way out.
DO BATS CARRY DISEASE?
People have a tendency to believe that all bats are infected with rabies, but this is rarely the case. It is impossible to determine whether or not a particular animal is infected through a visual examination, making it necessary to capture and test the animal if a person has been bitten or scratched.
It is possible for a rabies-infected bat to spread the disease to a human victim. Causing symptoms like brain inflammation, rabies is potentially deadly if it is not treated. Anyone who has touched or had other close contact with a bat may want to get tested.
People who are dealing with bat infestations are far more likely to develop a lung disease called histoplasmosis. This illness is caused by fungi in bat guano that can contaminate indoor air. It is essential that bat waste products be carefully cleared away by pest control technicians to prevent this sickness from spreading.
Moreover, minor illnesses may be caused by the bat bugs and mites that may attend any bat infestation.
HOW TO DETECT BATS
Signs of a bat presence include:
• Unpleasant odors permeate the building • Bats regularly fly around the building's exterior • Several bats clustered around an opening in the building's exterior • Rustling or squeaking noises emerging from behind walls • Bodies of dead bats in landscaping
HOW TO PREVENT BATS
To help prevent bat issues the following steps should be taken:
• Schedule routine pest control treatments to minimize the insect population • Fix water leaks and standing water problems to make the property less attractive to insects • Give bats an alternative by installing bat boxes on trees • Cover cracks and gaps so bats cannot come indoors
HOW TO TREAT FOR BATS
Bat control can be complicated and potentially dangerous involving many procedures that are governed by state law. A licensed pest management professional should always be consulted to ensure safe and proper bat removal, decontamination, and prevention.
Bat control can be complicated and potentially dangerous involving many procedures that are governed by state law. A licensed pest management professional should always be consulted to ensure safe and proper bat removal, decontamination, and prevention.
