How to Get Rid of Bats

If your home is being overrun by bats, the problem you're facing isn't just the noise. The structure of your home can suffer damage due to the bats' invasion, and their droppings will slowly cause wood and other materials to decay. Exposure to bat guano could also pose health risks to you and your family if left unchecked. You might consider contacting a professional pest control service if the situation becomes severe. However, there are also a few simple steps you can take to evict these winged invaders and ensure they don't return.

Confirm that bats are indeed the issue you're dealing with. The occasional rustling noise you hear in the attic might just be the sound of old pipes moving or the house expanding and contracting. It's important to rule out other possibilities before spending time and energy on getting rid of bats. The best way to determine if bats are in your home is to either spot them directly or find their droppings.

• Consult with a pest control expert or wildlife specialist to identify the type of bats commonly found in your area.

Look for bat droppings. Bat droppings are small, round, black pellets that emit a strong, unpleasant odor. If you come across bat droppings in your home, there’s a good chance that bats have recently roosted there.

• Though they are hard to spot, bat urine leaves behind small stains with an extremely strong smell.
• Sometimes, bat droppings contain mold spores, which can be dangerous when inhaled. Long-term exposure to bat droppings can result in serious health risks, including histoplasmosis and respiratory infections.

Learn about the types of bats in your area. There are many different species of bats. Research when the breeding season begins for the bats in your region. If you disturb a mother bat after she’s given birth, her pups won’t survive, leading to a foul smell and the unpleasant task of dealing with dead bats in your attic.

• Bats thrive in various environments, and usually, you can identify the species based on their habitat. This knowledge will help you plan a safe strategy for isolating and repelling the bats.
• If possible, observe a bat entering your home from close range to determine its species.

Check for entry points for bats. Bats are drawn to dark, enclosed spaces similar to their natural cave environments. Search around your attic, chimney, basement, or low, hidden spaces for evidence of bats. Pay special attention to cracks or small holes where bats could enter, as these are common points of entry.

• Bats can slip through gaps as narrow as 1 cm, so be sure to inspect small or hidden openings carefully.
• Watch the bats closely as they enter and leave to identify their entry points.

Disrupt their environment to repel bats. Bats prefer quiet, dark hiding spots and are averse to bright, noisy areas. Try turning on lights in your attic or areas where you suspect bats are roosting. To enhance the effect, you could also purchase a white noise machine and keep it running overnight to double your chances of driving the bats away.

• In many places, harming certain protected species of bats is illegal, so it’s important to find ways to repel them without causing harm.
• Hang strips of aluminum foil from the ceiling to create obstacles that confuse the bats and make them stay away.

Set up bat shelters. Bat shelters are small, enclosed structures that create a comfortable temperature for bats seeking a place to roost. The goal is to lure the bats out of your house while providing them with a suitable place to stay, ensuring they won’t want to return. For those living in forested or mountainous areas, bat shelters offer a simple way to relocate bats without resorting to expensive measures.

• You can either build your own bat shelter or contact a pest control or wildlife exclusion service to help you acquire one.
• Place the bat shelters near tree lines or along your house, in shaded areas.

Install one-way exclusion devices. One-way valves placed at suspected bat entry points allow bats to exit freely but prevent them from re-entering. This method encourages the bats to leave and is considered the most effective way to completely evict them.

• Using exclusion devices is a better solution than setting traps, which are difficult and dangerous to execute.
• You can purchase these devices at most pet stores or home improvement retailers, and installation is relatively easy.

Call a professional pest control service. If you are unable to drive the bats away on your own or suspect a bat colony in your home, it’s best to seek professional help. Pest control experts know how to identify potential entry points, remove the bats, and seal off vulnerabilities to prevent their return.

• This is probably the safest and most convenient option if you're able to afford it.
• In areas with a strong environmental protection policy, you might find wildlife experts who will remove the bats free of charge.

Seal up all potential bat entry points. After the bats have left, it’s crucial to seal every crack and gap that they could use to re-enter. You can do this by repairing long-standing cracks and damage, and installing exclusion devices. You might need to use caulk, mortar, or roofing materials to block the openings. With these barriers in place, the bats will find it difficult, if not impossible, to re-enter your home.

• Consider hiring a contractor to help you inspect the exterior of your house for possible bat entry points.
• It’s important to address every potential entry, as if the bats can’t get in one way, they will search for another opening.

Clean up bat droppings. Use a vacuum to suck up the dry bat droppings or scoop them into a trash bag for disposal, and then thoroughly scrub the area with an enzyme-based cleaner. This product will break down biological waste, leaving no stains behind.

• Be sure to take the proper safety precautions when cleaning bat droppings – wear thick rubber gloves, goggles, and a mask to filter the air around you.
• However, it’s best to leave the cleaning task to a pest control service.

Regularly inspect potential bat roosting areas. Carefully examine your attic, basement, low spaces, or areas that have previously been inhabited by bats to prevent their return. Pay attention to the bats and their droppings. While they may stay outside once you seal the entry points, if they manage to sneak back in, you’ll be able to detect it quickly and stop them.

• Unexplained debris or dirt might indicate that bats have re-entered.
• Though they often end up in attics or chimneys, bats can also roost under floorboards, inside glassed-in hallways, or under roof tiles.

• Spray water on areas with bat droppings to prevent dust and pathogens from spreading.
• The best time to implement home protection steps is at night when bats are out hunting and mating.
• Inspect your home annually for bats and other pests.
• Frequent human presence will make bats uncomfortable and discourage them from staying.
• Fruits, nuts, and other small food items can sometimes lure bats out of their roosting spots.

• Don’t waste your time on bat repellent products. Not only are they often ineffective, but they can also pose a health risk to you and your family as they release irritating chemicals around your home.
• In addition to histoplasmosis, bats are linked to other health risks such as rabies, fleas, ticks, and mites.