Bat Removal & Prevention

Bat removal and prevention season is in high gear. Therefore, we’d like to reiterate some of the basics of bat removal and prevention.

The ultimate goal is to get the bats living in structures out so:

1) They don’t end up in a living space

2) They don’t make a mess in attics and such with their guano and urine.

Doesn’t this bat roosting in an attic look pretty content? Attics provide safe, comfortable living spaces. It’s no wonder that if we give bats the opportunity to move in they’ll usually take it.

With that said, let’s review how bats get into homes.

Unlike squirrels and raccoons that force their ways into people’s homes, bats get into homes 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.

Here is a recent picture which shows a bat entry at an area where multiple building elements came together. Two roofs, a gutter, some fascia, and some drip edge all intersected at this spot. But, they didn’t quite match up and a small opening existed. That’s how bats move in.

The small stature of Ohio’s bats is one of their biggest assets when it comes to finding shelter.

Little openings that don’t look like much to the untrained eye 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.

So, bats happen. And the guano build up…and the urine staining…and an occasional foray into the living quarters…you get the idea.

So if bats are in the house, what is the next step?

Process for Bat Solution

Solving a bat problem, in theory, a simple two-step process:

Make sure all the bats are out of a structure
Seal up the structure up so the bats can’t get back in

But, obviously, this is one of those things that is easier said than done.

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. We use tubes at entry/exit points designed so bats can get out but not back in.

You can read about it in this post, Bat Cones.

Step 2, sealing up the structure, is what we refer to as bat-proofing.

Bat Proofing a Home

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.

Additionally, 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 all the potential points of bat entry/bat use should be given attention.

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.