A wayward bat flying around in your bedroom or living room is the stuff of nightmares for most homeowners. Learn what to do and what not to do if you suspect your home is being shared with bats.
DON’T panic and assume your home is infested the first time you see a bat inside. Sometimes the offending bat simply entered the home by accident through an open window. While the event will be memorable, it won’t likely happen again once the bat is trapped and let loose outdoors.
DO remain watchful for signs of infestation if bats are spotted near your home. If you’ve had a bat in the house more than once, or if you notice other signs like bat droppings or scratching and squeaking sounds in the walls or attic, you might have bats living in your building. Cover your inside vents to avoid the bats wandering in, and call for bat removal service.
DON’T try to trap or kill a bat. Killing bats, even in your attic or walls, is actually illegal in Ontario, as both species of bat found in homes and attics (Little Brown Bats and Big Brown Bats) are designated Specially Protected Mammals. To clear your home of a bat colony you will need professional bat removal services.
DO know how to identify bat droppings, which are sometimes confused with bird or mouse droppings. Bat droppings usually appear crumbled or loose, with undigested insect parts present. There is no white colour as seen in bird droppings. Mouse droppings resemble small black grains of rice.
DON’T try to solve the problem with bat houses. Established bat colonies will not just up and leave your attic for a new bat house in the area. Bat removal will still be necessary.
DO install bat houses elsewhere on your property anyways. Bats are endangered and are an important source of insect control, so we want to help them thrive – just not in our homes!
DON’T seal off gaps, holes, and other points of entry for bats without having expert bat removal performed first. The pest control professionals will carry out an ‘exclusion’, a process that draws bats out of the home and immediately prevents them from re-entry. Sealing off entries first will either force the bats into your living quarters, or cause the bats to die in places you can’t easily access.
DO give us a call at Dave’s Quality Pest Control for a free estimate, our team can help you with bat removal and exclusion, comply with provincial law to minimize harm to the bats, and offer assistance protecting your home from future intrusions.
