On one hand, bats are very beneficial to the ecosystem and environment — but they can also damage property and carry diseases. If you find bats in your home, remember that professional bat removal services are the best and safest option.
Why Bats Are Helpful
It's not a good idea to eradicate bats by harming or poisoning them. In fact, there are many upsides to having bats in the world with us. Consider the following perks:
- They eat harmful insects: Bats mostly feed on insects and can devour between 600 and 2,000 insects each hour. Their diets mostly consist of insects such as rootworms and mosquitoes that attack crops or carry diseases.
- They spread fruit seeds: A significant part of the bat population is also frugivores, which is helpful to humans as bats spread plant seeds and pollinate fruit-bearing plants as a result of their diet.
- They fertilize the area: Guano is a potent fertilizer that nourishes many plants and fellow cave-dwelling animals.
Why Bats Are Harmful
Bats can be good for the environment, but they often spell trouble for humans' health as well as their residences. The following are reasons why getting rid of bats in your home is important:
- Property damage: A family of bats living in your home can cause damage to your roof, insulation, walls, and any other location of your home they may be dwelling. In some cases, their droppings could even contaminate your water.
- Rabies: Approximately 5% of bats carry rabies a disease that is life-threatening to humans and pets. While bats typically won’t bite humans unless provoked, anyone who gets bitten needs to be examined by a medical professional immediately.
- Histoplasmosis: If you inhale the spores of this fungus from large amounts of guano (bat feces), you could contract histoplasmosis. This disease starts in the lungs and progresses to flu-like symptoms. In a small number of cases, histoplasmosis can be fatal.
Why Would Bats Enter Your Property?
Like other small mammals, bats find homes inside residential properties because they're warm and safe. Attics are a favorite roosting location for bat colonies because they offer consistent temperatures and protection from predators. Like mice, bats can squeeze through tiny, coin-sized openings to quickly infiltrate your home.
What Are the Signs That You Have Bats in Your Home?
When you're learning how to get rid of bats in your house, consider how to identify a bat invasion. Look for the following signs of bats in your home:
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Chirping noises at nighttime
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Small, black droppings that are clustered together
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A strange, strong odor
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A dead bat in your home
How Can Skedaddle Help Remove Bats in a Humane Way?
Having helped more than 200,000 homeowners over the course of two decades, Skedaddle understands how to deter bats safely and permanently. We can work with you to implement these solutions:
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Finding entry points and sealing them to prevent more bats from entering.
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Humanely relocating adult bats and their young.
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Removing bat droppings and other messes they've made.
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