How Do Bats Get In? Gaps

Unlike squirrels and raccoons, bats don’t force their way into our homes.

So how do they get in?

They get in through small openings that come to exist on our homes through age, damage, design, or poor workmanship. Or, more than likely, a combination of these factors.

For example, this picture shows a close-up of bat entry in a gable vent next to a chimney.

The gable vent has no screening behind it.

The vent’s slats are painted white but you can see they are dirty now. The dirt comes from the oil of the bats’ bodies as they brush against the vent going in and out.

The bats didn’t create this opening. They just found it.

Here is a video Ryan took of the area.

Little openings that don’t look like much to most people often lead to nooks and crannies (or big attics) that have climates bats thrive in. If they find the right conditions, they’ll be back year after year.

The first step in getting the bats out for good is finding where they are getting inside.

Bat Proofing = Sealing the Gaps

In theory, solving a bat problem is straightforward two-step process:

1) Make sure all the bats are out of a structure.

2) Seal up the structure up so the bats can’t get back in

Making sure all the bats are out of a house is a process of putting barriers over entrances that let them out, but prevent them from getting back in.

For bat-proofing, the bats’ main entrances and points of use need modification so that the bats can’t enter or use that spot again.

But, once the bats get kicked out they are going to want to get back in. They’ll explore the structure searching for other ways in. This means the whole structure needs addressed: all the potential points of bat entry/bat use have to be included in the plan.

So, the extent of the job depends upon how many potential areas of use need modified.

The modifications to the structure typically include:

Screening- Sometimes bats access vents that are necessary. Properly installed screens with fine mesh prevent bats from getting into openings that have to stay.
Siding, soffit, flashing, and fascia repair- Bats often get into attics through roofing/siding elements that are old, damaged, or installed improperly. Sometimes the best way to bat-proof is to replace the piece that is letting the bats in.
Caulking/Sealing- Often times, a good portion of bat-proofing is devoted to filling in small gaps that exist in building pieces without replacing them entirely. This is accomplished through sealing the existing gaps with filler material and a high quality caulk.