Bat Removal & Exclusion Solutions

Many customers who have experienced a live bat in the living space of the home commonly assume that the bat came down the chimney. Our certified bat control specialists very rarely find that a bat in the living space has entered from the chimney. They have almost always entered through the attic and then the living space through a crack, gap, or hole on the interior of the home. Once a bat is in the living space, it may gravitate to the fireplace because it can feel a draft of air from the chimney.

Due to decreasing habitat, bats are commonly using man-made structures as suitable roost and colony sites. The most common bats to inhabit homes are Little Brown Bats and Big Brown Bats. Other species will inhibit homes, though not as frequently. Bats can access homes through cracks as small 3/8" of an inch wide. Removal of bats is done by a process of excluding the structure of all potential bat entries and placing a one-way door directly over the main entry point. This allows the bats to humanely exit the structure at night. Once the bats have gone out the one-way door unharmed, they are able to find a new roosting area preferably out of human contact.

Most bat populations are currently declining throughout the US, due to this all bats are protected and cannot be intentionally harmed. Intentionally harming bats in your attic is illegal, but removal from your attic is not. Bat removal from homes is encouraged due to potential health concerns for humans. Bats are a rabies vector and should only be handled by a professional. Bat guano can hold Histoplasmosis, a fungus that can cause respiratory illness, and should be removed from homes if present with proper personal protection equipment.

During the birthing season, (see chart above) bats cannot be excluded from a structure as the flightless young would not survive without parental care. Some states (Ohio) allow exclusion with a state issued permit but other states do not allow removal during birthing season. Varment Guard’s bat specialist can still help during this time, we can inspect the structure and develop the eviction plan. We can also start by doing some of the exclusion work, during the birthing season, if it will not prevent the bats from exiting or returning. Once birthing season is over, we can quickly exclude the last areas and hang the one-way door. One-way doors typically hang for 7-10 days to allow plenty of time for all the bats to exit.