Bat Guano Cleanup & Decontamination
How Do I Know I Have Bats?
Signs You Have Bats On Your Property
Do you see specks of guano (bat poo) on the ground or the walls? It looks like little mice droppings- the size of a grain of rice, but dark in color. Have you had a bat fly inside your home or even outside of your house? You probably have bats or maybe a colony of bats and require bat removal and control. Bats can discreetly take over your attic, office, or any high structure right under your nose. The smallest crevice, gap or opening will invite a whole colony of bats. Look under your eaves, behind fascia board or the space between home and chimney. They prefer your attic opposed to trees or any open landscape. Snuggled in-between walls is where you’ll find them if not living in an attic. Call if you want us to provide bat removal services!
Bats are tiny so they can fit inside of any sized cavity, ranging from 1/2 inch thick to any bigger size, which is why they’re so similar to dealing with rodent control. So, if you hear scratching in your walls, they might not be mice– they’re probably bats. Typically at the higher parts of your home is where you’ll hear these noises. Almost never will they live at the lower portions of your home.
Tips to keep bats out
- Turn off your outdoor lights at night– they attract mosquitoes which attract the bats!
- Clear out all standing water– this is a breeding ground for insects whom attract bats!
- Every single hole (small or big) has to be sealed
When to call bat removal professionals
- A distinct odor coming from your attic or vents
- If you notice sounds of scratching or crawling in your walls
- When you hear chirping from inside your walls or attic
- If you cannot locate where the bats are getting in and out
- When you see a lot of guano on the property
If you’re planning on doing your own bat prevention, see:
How to bat proof your home
Diseases associated with bats
Steps on How to Bat Proof your Home
Important note: It is recommended NOT to evict bats between May and August as baby bats will get left inside and die. Summer season is usually bat birthing season.
Setup One-Way Doors
One-way doors can allow the bats to evict themselves but deny them from re-entering the attic of the house or gap of property. These doors will be placed at the main points of entry. Areas where you either see: the bats fly out of, you see brown staining residue, or where you see guano (bat poop) either on the wall, under the entry point or ground. It’s important to note, when you setup the doors, you must close up other potential areas the bats will fly into.
You can use a number of different materials for one-way doors. Wildlife operators have used:
- Rolls of patio door screen
- 1/4 inch hardware cloth
- Plastic bat cones can also be used (or empty caulking tubes)
- Bird netting (finer the better, bats can get stuck in net)
Seal Up All Points of Entry and Potential Openings
If you have any loose fascia boards, broken soffit vents, chimney gaps and the like, all will house your neighborhood friendly bat or bat colony. There are a few ways to animal proof your home when it comes to bats. When you do, it’s a necessity to cover all holes. Anything from a 1/4 inch or bigger will give access to bats. Remember, if you seal the main area where bats are entering, they will aggressively migrate to another opening around the property.
- Foam up any gaps you see at the upper part of your home
- Screen off any broken soffit vent at higher parts of home
- Stuff gaps around chimney with steel wool
- Close off any openings you see that leads into your walls or attic (any openings)
- Apply metal screen to any big gaping holes along roofline
Depending on the size of the gap or opening where bats are entering, you need to consider a few different fillers. Black foam bought from online vendors will be ideal – Colored foam fillers are cheaper, easily accessed (local hardstore) but would look cosmetically unpleasing due to bright orange colors, etc. Steel wool is another great product to use to fill-in holes but be certain it’s tucked in quite good as gravity can have them fall out over time.