Bat Fact Sheet

Unless you actually see bats flying in and out of a hole in your house, it may be difficult to know that there is a colony of bats living right above your head. Little Brown Bats will take up residence in attics and soffits where the temperature and humidity is satisfactory for their needs. If you look around the upper part of your house, especially brick homes right where the soffit meets the brick you may see bat droppings or staining from urine on the wall. Bats will usually go to highest point available like gables and around chimney flashings. If you suspect bats are in your attic CALL A BAT SPECIALIST TO INSPECT AND REPORT. If you happen to have a bat flying around inside your house don’t panic, open the nearest door and it will likely fly out.

Most bats do carry rabies so do not try to pick one up. The dust from dried bat feces is toxic to human lung tissue so if you decide to clean up bat feces slightly dampen it before removal. This job is best left to a professional. Bat exclusion should only be attempted in May and August; these months there should be no young. The young bats are left in the roost when the adults go out to feed and they are too young to fly. If you seal their access points the young will die in the attic, causing a whole set of new problems. Remember that bats are a protected species and should not be killed.

Bats must be removed with one way doors. Placed properly, and at the proper times of the year this method works wonderful. Once the bats are all out, the clean-up can begin. Sometimes it is not possible to remove the guano as in a cathedral ceiling. Once all bat droppings have been removed it is usually necessary to seal the entire upper part of the house or they will find a way back in. This is high and dangerous work and requires skill so don’t attempt this unless you have plenty of ladder experience.

Bat exclusion can be quite expensive. Expect to be charged anywhere from $1000 to $4000 depending on the size of colony and amount of sealing necessary. An inspection is absolutely mandatory. There is generally a fee for this inspection as it may take up to 2 hours.

Don’t be afraid to ask a company for references when it comes to bat work and call the references to see if they are reputable. You are spending a lot of money you want it done properly.