Not the Time for Bat Removal & Exclusion

In the Spring, female Big Brown Bats congregate to give birth. A congregation of female bats this time of year is called a maternal colony.

If given the opportunity, female Big Brown Bats here in the Akron, Canton, Kent, OH area often choose the attics and soffits of people’s homes as maternal colony spots.

Moving into structures in numbers gets these bats noticed.

And once they are on a homeowner’s radar, most homeowners want them out…now.

Now, however, is not the time to kick them out.

Bats are Protected in Ohio

It is not time to kick them out because the baby bats (pups) are very vulnerable at this time.

Since they are mammals, they need to nurse. If a mother bat couldn’t get back into the structure because they were excluded, this would certainly be a death sentence for the pups.

Bat pups start to fly after a few weeks but they are not good fliers immediately. It takes them a while before they are no longer nursing, able to leave the roosting spot, and strong enough to disperse.

For those whom this rationale doesn’t strike a chord, please consider that it is illegal to kill bats in the State of Ohio except for rare instances.

The nuisance animal control law states:

It shall be unlawful to euthanize or kill a bat unless a bite or potential exposure to zoonotic diseases has occurred. Any bat killed or euthanized must be reported to the local health department by the affected landowner or their designated agent by the end of the next business day.

In this spirit, baby bats needs to stay with their mothers in a stable environment until they are self sufficient.

Bats are an important for our ecology. Big Brown Bats, specifically, are a species of concern in the State of Ohio. For these and other reasons, Big Brown Bat maternal colonies need to be left alone for now…even if they are in your attic.

What Can Be Done About Bats

Just because it is unethical to kick out bats from a maternal colony, it does not mean that nothing can be done.

Since you suspect a problem exists, now is the time to:

Get an inspection. Knowing the extent of the problem and where the entry/exit points is vital information.
Get on the schedule. Once September rolls around, we can begin bat exclusions in earnest. Letting them out and not back in can be accomplished throughout the Fall.
Get a head start. If conditions permit, we can get a head start on the exclusion. All possible entries need shored up and made “bat proof”. If the job is large, the main entries can be left alone for now, but the other areas currently not in use can be closed off–even now. It’s like putting up a fence but leaving the gates open for now.