How to Get Rid of Bats?

The Benefits of Bats

Summer time is here! The perfect time of year to head into your backyard and enjoy the evening air, but you may not be alone as it is the season for bats! Bats conjure up feelings of fright for some, but in all reality they are friends not foes. We experience a great deal of bat activity in Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Westchester and Ulster counties, during the spring and summer months. They leave their roost at night and spend the next several hours consuming thousands of insects, including mosquitoes, beetles, moths and leafhoppers, often consuming one-third their body weight in just 30 minutes.

This reduces the risk of humans contacting the diseases carried by mosquitoes, like West Nile Virus, and they naturally protect and pollinate food crops that we all benefit from eating. Their presence can be a real asset to ones’ property, unless of course, they are dwelling in your home.

There’s A Bat In My House!

There  are two types of bats most commonly found in our service areas, the big brown bat and the little brown bat.  The little brown bat is approximately 3 to 4 inches long while the big brown bat is 4 to 5 inches long.

Bats take cover in homes typically in late spring and early summer forming nursery colonies, to raise their pups. These nursing sites are typically used year after year. They are able to fit through gaps in siding, chimneys and eaves as small as 3/8 inch. They seek dark, warm, protected environments where there is high humidity. These colonies sometimes grow to as many as 1,000 per colony. Their gestation lasts 50–60 days and they usually have one baby per female each year during late May to early July. At birth, each young weighs approximately, 0.07 oz and their eyes are closed for the first 24 hours. For the first few days, they cling to their mother’s fur constantly, even when she is forging at night. After a few days, they remain on the roost during the nocturnal forging. Within a month, they are weaned, adult sized and capable of flight, at which time females tend to disperse from nursery colonies. Little is known about the summer whereabouts of males, though they appear in common places such as caves, forests, and occasionally attics. Yearling females may bear young, but males do not breed until the end of their second summer. Brown bats live approximately 6 to 7 years and often live well beyond 10 years. During the summer months, the males and females do not cohabitate. When fall comes, both sexes fly south to mate and hibernate as a community.

How To Get Rid Of A Bat In My Home

If you find yourself dealing with a bat flying in your home there a few simple steps you can take to help ensure that they find their way out. First, open all doors and windows leading outside. Bats are drawn to fresh air movement and will gravitate towards the outside air. If it is nightfall, it is also helpful to shut out the lights to help them navigate towards the openings otherwise they may seek refuge behind drapes, curtains and wall hangings.

There is a chance that the bat may have flown in through an open window or door, but if you feel you may have a bat infestation, then it is time to call in the professionals.

Give us a call toll free at 855-945-1212

Here at Wildlife Busters we offer affordable wildlife control services. Our technicians are certified through the National Wildlife Control Operator Association and will resolve your wildlife management issue humanely, professionally and efficiently. Please note that all of our wildlife exclusion services come with a 1 to 5 year warranty, which can be extended upon expiration with one of our long-term prevention plans. Please give us a call or check out our website for more information.