It’s Halloween season, and bats are everywhere. But while we might enjoy the decorative ones that hang amongst the Halloween decorations alongside the pumpkins, the ones living in our attics bring less joy. Bat infestations are a problem for many homeowners. They’re a hard-to-solve problem, as well: they can sneak into small areas, and accumulation of their droppings (called “guano”) can result in health, odor and insect problems.
How Do the Bats Get In?
While you, the homeowner or renter, may not see small cracks or gaps high on your roof, it’s a given that the bats do. A small crack in a mortar joint 30 or 40 feet off the ground can quickly become a superhighway for bats to enter a home or other structure. Bats are nocturnal, so they’re looking for someplace quiet and dark to sleep during the day and over the winter. But as most bats are very quiet animals, it could take years before homeowners realize that they have a bat infestation: usually because of a distinctive odor resulting from the build-up of droppings. Bats can also enter through vents, chimneys and other small openings in the home.
How Many Bats Make an Infestation?
If you’ve found a single bat in your home, it may have entered through an open door or window. Still, it’s a good idea to check your attic for tell-tale signs that bats have been living in it. While bats usually look for dark, quiet places like attics, they can roost almost anywhere.
What Are the Signs of Bats in the Home?
The signs you have unwanted bat friends in your home include:
- Evidence of bat guano (bat droppings) around your home, or smells emerging from the attic.
- The presence of oily streaks around certain parts of your home, or stains on the ceiling.
- Soft sounds emerging from your attic.
- Pets bringing home bats.
- Dead bats in or around your property.
- Piles of black droppings on your attic insulation.
Call a Professional
The unpleasant odors and potential human health problems bats can cause are a primary reason that winged home intruders are a job for a professional wildlife control company. As a professional pest removal company, Connecticut-based Anderson Wildlife uses safe, humane and green methods for the removal of bats and other wildlife, eliminating any use of poisons, pesticides, or chemicals. Animals are relocated humanely, and we’ll also repair any damage to your home or business and block entrances so the bats (or squirrels, or mice) can’t re-enter your home. Call 203-758-0555 or visit us online for a free quote.
