Appearance

While they might be winged, bats are classified are closely related to rodents. They have leathery wings and massive ears that help them navigate and track prey through echolocation. Their bodies are covered in short fur, which can appear as different shades of brown, red, and grey.

The smallest bats are usually 2-3 inches long and have an 8 inch wingspan. Larger bats can range from 7-8 inches with almost a 2ft wingspan.

Diseases

Bats are a common rabies carrier. They dont often transfer the disease to humans, but they are apt to bite animals in and around your home, most notably a beloved family pet.

Bat waste creates a serious risk of histoplasmosis. It is deadly to humans if they inhale the spores.

Bats also carry insect pests and parasites, like ticks, mites, and fleas.

Damage

Bats can cause a serious amount of interior damage to your attic. They often have to create or widen holes to make entry points into your building. This will result in gnawed wood and plasting, usually around vents and soffits.

If that’s where they left it, the damage wouldn’t be so bad. Bats do most of their damage by turning attics into a toilet. Unresloved bat waste can create a toxic buildup and put homeowners and their families at serious risk. It also ruins blown in insulation that will need to be cleaned out and replaced.

Trapping & Removal

You take on a lot of risk by trying to trap bats on your own. Bats do carry rabies, so make sure you don’t handle them yourself, and if you must, please use protective clothing like thick rubber gloves. If you must go into your attic, also please wear a mask because you may inhale deadly fungal spores from bat waste.

The best method to remove bats and keep them out are exclusion based. (See Below)

Exclusion

Excluding bats is often the best way to keep them out of your house. Our AAAC Wildlife Professionals usually employ one way doors that allow the bats to exit to feed, but then don’t allow them to re-enter your home. Once they have exited your attic, we usually need to clear up the waste, repair the damage around entry points and seal them up.