Expert Bat Removal
It is not at all uncommon to be scared of bats. In fact, according to some polls, as many as 1 in 5 people in the United States are afraid, or at the very least, wary of bats. So if you’re worried about a bat invasion on your property, rest assured, you are not alone.
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Much of this common fear stems from a very old place in our collective memory – since bats are most active during the night and can fly high up above our heads, we recognize them as a potential predator, even when the truth is far from this image.
Did you know…bats are actually a helpful species?
It turns out, that most species of bats that you will find in the United States are actually beneficial for the environment, not to mention quite cute and harmless when viewed with a non-judgmental eye.
Bats tend to consume tiny, harmful insects (as many as 1,200 per hour!) and crop-ruining beetles, pollinate our plants, and even disperse seeds. So rather than being a nuisance, bats are actually highly beneficial for our planet and have thus been placed under legal protection.
What does that mean?
While we can agree that bats are helpful, tiny, and mostly harmless, it’s still undesirable to discover a bat colony living up inside your attic. We know that. Unfortunately, since bat removal can be quite tricky, and risks resulting in harming or even killing said bats, it is illegal in many states, including Pennsylvania.
Understand that this is because bats are a helpful, and also highly endangered species. Over recent years, there has been a steady, and alarming decline in the bat population in the area, and as such intentionally harming a bat can land you in legal hot water.
How to get rid of bats
All of that being said, if you do discover a bat colony on your property, what should you do? Well, the first thing we advise you to do is call us at Fur & Feathers Wildlife Control, if you live anywhere in the Eastern Pennsylvania region.
Seriously. Hiring professional wildlife removal experts may be the only way you can safely and legally handle bats in this state. Because of the current laws, we wouldn’t recommend attempting to remove the bats through commercial light or noise deterrents, or at-home remedies, much less through the use of poison (as that can seriously entail legal trouble).
Instead, you’ll probably want to reach out to a professional bat removal company that is licensed and well prepared to handle such a situation. One of the immense benefits of hiring wildlife control companies is that they are also up to date on all the legal fineries pertaining to bat removal and exclusion. That means they’ll know all the do’s and don’ts, and be able to determine how best to proceed in your specific situation.
What will we do?
First, we will inspect the premises. We need to make sure that we are actually dealing with bats, and not some other invasive species. Common signs of a bat invasion include:
- Bats flying around the house (obviously, the clearest sign of a bat invasion);
- Strong, yet unexplained odors (this is due to the accumulation of guano, aka bat droppings, which are highly corrosive and pungent);
- Stained entry points (bats will need to first find a crack or hole to use as a gateway into your home. After they’ve come in and out a few times, you’ll begin to see black resin stains around the entry point);
- High-pitched squeaking (this is actually a way that bats communicate, and is most likely to be heard at night when the bats are most active. Bats also use sounds to navigate through the dark, and this may be one of the clearest signs of a bat invasion).
Once we’ve established that your problem is, indeed, bats, we will begin to work on a solution. In some cases, wildlife removal companies are not licensed (as per Pennsylvania law) to exclude bat colonies from human homes. This is most likely to be the case during the summer months after a new batch of babies has been born.
During this time, exclusion can prove dangerous, as it risks separating the mother bat from the baby bats, who are defenseless, and unable to feed themselves. Since exclusion during the summer often results in the deaths of baby bats, it is also punishable by law, and illegal.
So what happens with a bat infestation during the summer?
In some cases, you may just have to tolerate the bats for a little while. Don’t worry, normally, by the time August rolls around, the baby bats will be self-sufficient and independent enough to fly out on their own, and procure food. This is usually when the bat colony will disperse, anyway, since one of the main goals of such a bat gathering is to bring up the babies.
What if there are no baby bats?
If no baby bats are present, then the situation may be a little easier, since we might be able to use exclusion devices to remove the offending flyers. An exclusion device is basically a one-way gate that we’ll set up over the bat’s entry point. This may be a crack in the wall, a damaged roof or windowpane, or even through your exposed chimney.
An exclusion device will allow the mature bat to exit into the wild (where it regularly ventures to procure food and water), but not to enter back inside your home. Exclusion can be highly effective in removing adult bats, though once again, the possibility of using exclusion devices varies from case to case.
Are bats dangerous?
The first thing most of our clients ask us when they hear about the possibility of living side-by-side with bats is – are bats dangerous? And the answer is yes. While bats are highly unlikely to lunge at you or your pets (despite what you may imagine), their presence does expose you to a host of serious illnesses. Common bat diseases we’ve encountered include rabies, histoplasmosis, external parasites, yersiniosis, and salmonellosis – all of which are serious diseases and should be regarded as such.
The main means through which a bat exposes you to disease is through its guano, or feces, whose accumulation can become highly toxic to you and yours. This is why, if there are bats living on your property, it’s recommended to maintain a safe distance. If you ever go near the bat colony, we recommend wearing adequate protective gear, such as gloves, a surgical mask, and so on.
Clean-up and restoration
Once we’ve safely excluded the bats (or once the bats have left on their own), we will begin the clean-up and restoration process. Bat poop can be seriously corrosive, and thus damage surfaces, including furniture, or wooden surfaces. So we need to restore what we can, or else replace damaged items.
We will also need to have a strong focus on cleaning and sanitizing the bat-infested area, so as to remove all of the above-mentioned diseases and make the space livable again.
Dealing with a bat infestation in Eastern Pennsylvania? Then call us at Fur & Feathers Wildlife Control at +1 866-442-9360 right now!
How to Remove Bats from the Attic?
If struggling with bats on your property, it’s important that you remove them as quickly as possible. The more time bats are left inside a home, the more damage they will cause. But what’s the best way to remove them?
At Fur&Feathers Wildlife Control, we’ve seen any and every bat removal method in existence, not to mention our own years of experience in the field of wildlife removal.
Is DIY removal effective?
By far the best way to get rid of pesky bats on your property is by engaging a wildlife removal professional. Tell us we’re biased, but the simple truth is, while DIY removal may seem like a cutesy and effective idea, it actually entails a lot of hidden costs and risks. It’s not just about the wildlife removal process itself, you’ll also need to handle the repair and disinfection of any affected property. You’ll need to replace any damaged items, and identify what attracted the bats to your property in the first place. We wouldn’t recommend taking such an undertaking upon yourself.
With a certified wildlife removal service, you’re getting a 100% guarantee of animal removal, as well as all those other things that ensure you don’t need to worry about another infestation in the future. In short, it’s the smarter choice, in the long run.
Removing bats may get you in trouble.
Although they may seem quite frightful to you, bats are actually, by and large, a helpful species. Bats will feed on a host of undesirable, nuisance insects, and as such, they are a vital part of the pollination process. Because of this, in many states of the U.S., bats are actually protected by the law.
Of course, you will want to check with the local regulations, to see which laws apply in your specific area. But our advice would be, do not attempt to remove a bat colony by yourself. Doing so may result in legal trouble, since harming bats may be illegal where you reside.
Pennsylvania considers it illegal to remove/harm bats, even those residing on your property.
Instead, call a wildlife removal professional, like Fur&Feathers Wildlife Control. We’re knowledgeable on the legal do’s and don’ts in the Pennsylvania area. As such, we’re better prepared to handle the situation.
How does Fur&Feathers Wildlife Control handle bats?
Well, if you’re anywhere in the Pennsylvania area, we encourage you to reach out, so we can schedule an inspection at your nearest convenience. Doing so will allow us to gauge the exact situation where you live, the extent of the bat damage, and so on.
Once we’ve thoroughly inspected your property, we will decide on the right course of action. Bear in mind that, in some cases, we may not be legally permitted to remove bats. If the bats living on your property have young pups, who could not fend for themselves in the wild, we are legally obligated to let them live there until the pups would naturally fly the nest. On the bright side, it usually doesn’t take more than a couple of months for bat pups to become self-reliant, and thus allow for removal.
What’s more, Fur&Feathers Wildlife Control offers disinfection and repair services.
Did you know…? Bat droppings are known as ‘guano’ and have a highly corrosive, damaging effect.
As such, we will work to replace and repair everything the bats have damaged, as well as provide thorough disinfection. This renders the property inhabitable, without posing any danger to your health.
So if you live in the Eastern Pennsylvania area, and are dealing with nuisance bats, do not hesitate to give us a call!