While every geographical region has pesky animals, a bat invasion isn’t abnormal. Bats are nocturnal mammals whose forelimbs are adopted as wings to enhance flight. In agricultural production, bats play a crucial role as nighttime pollinators. In addition, they help keep the bug population in check.
Despite their beneficial role, bats are notorious for transmitting zoonotic diseases. Also, inhaling the fungus found in their droppings can cause respiratory issues. With this in mind, it’s never a great feeling to have such pesky critters around for most homeowners.
However, if you have encountered one nearby your property and are blanking on where to get help, we’ve got you covered. Here at WNY Wildlife & Exclusion, we help homeowners relocate critters safely to the wild. Read on to understand the best ways to remove bats from your home.
Seal Holes and Cracks
Bats live in secluded places. Places like attics, chimneys, and crawlspaces pose the perfect habitat for them. Bat-proofing your property entails locating and blocking all entry points that can lead the bats into your home.
Missing shingles, broken windows, and gapping chimneys are potential entrance points. You can correct damages by replacing broken windows, filling holes with sealants, and caulking. Bats can fit in spaces smaller than an inch; therefore, you should not overlook tiny holes.
Use Natural Bat Repellents
While home remedies might not entirely help keep these creatures at bay, they can be helpful when used together with other methods. Naturally, bats are sensitive to cinnamon, eucalyptus, white phenol, and mothballs. You can DIY a bat spray using one of these repellents and spray around suspected entry points.
Also, bright lights can help deter bats. You can install light fixtures around your property to keep them off. Hanging strips of reflective items such as mirrors, old CDs, or aluminum foils can also be helpful.
Install Bat Excluders
A bat excluder allows bats to exit a building but not re-enter. Once you’ve identified the bats’ entry point, you can estimate the size and cut the bat net to the required size. To set it up correctly, you should secure the top corners a few centimeters about the entry spot and allow it to hang down. The critters will be able to find their way out under the net. In an attempt to enter, the net will act as a barrier and confound the bats.
Remove Food Sources
When dealing with a bat issue, the first thing you need to do is to remove all food sources around your property. Depending on the bat species, some eat fruits and other insects. On the one hand, if you are dealing with insect-eating bats, you may want to control the insects around your home to limit food availability. And should you decide to use insecticides, be sure to go for the ones that do not harm the bats.
Conversely, if the bats around your home are fruit-eaters, covering the fruits in your garden with bird netting helps limit access.
Install a Decoy Bat House
Building a decoy bat house is a great way to entice the bats to leave your property alone. The structures can take many forms, from free-standing houses of large colonies to tiny backyard boxes. While you can build one by yourself, pre-built bat structures are available online, and they come with a step-to-step guide, so setting up one is relatively easy—however, it’s best to leave the job to the pros for rewarding results.
Furthermore, bat houses make it easier for professionals to locate them during the capture and release technique.
It is worth noting that if you encounter a dead or alive bat, you take a serious gamble by touching it. Being infamous for transmitting deadly viruses such as rabies, handling one without protective gear puts you at risk of getting infected. Therefore, you should let us do the job for you.
We are animal lovers and a fully licensed company with over a decade of experience in trapping and moving animals. We offer a diverse range of animal removal services .Contact us today for help.
