The attic is not the only place where you might find bats in your home. Another common place for bats to roost is on your porch. An overhang provides a convenient place for bats to roost, whether long-term or just for a break while they are hunting. In either case, you do not want bats on your porch because of the droppings they can leave behind. Professional bat removal may be necessary, but there are also things you can do to discourage bats from your porch. 

1. Modify the Materials

Bats roost by grasping a perch with their feet and hanging upside-down. Rough materials such as wood or brick allow them to find purchase and get a good grip. If you can modify the materials to make them more smooth, the bats may not be able to find purchase anymore, forcing them to find a new spot to roost. 

You do not necessarily have to swap out the wood or brick on your porch to prevent bats from roosting there. You can cover them with a material such as plexiglass. Not only is it smooth to prevent the bats from getting a grip on it, but it is also transparent so as not to disrupt the aesthetics of the underlying material. 

2. Install Deterrents

Bats are less likely to hang around a place where they do not feel safe or where they are disturbed when they are trying to sleep. You may be able to deter them from your porch by having some deterrents installed. For example, owls are natural predators of bats, so you may be able to scare the bats away by installing an artificial owl on your porch. There are mechanical owls that are solar-powered and made to mimic the movements of the actual birds. These are likely to look more realistic to bats, and therefore more threatening. 

Hanging wind chimes on your porch can help to deter bats in two different ways. The movement of the chimes with the wind can confuse and annoy them. Bats have very sensitive hearing, so the sound of the wind chimes can also be a deterrent. This is a method that does not harm the bats in any way, nor is it likely to violate any local ordinances as other deterrent methods might, such as shining bright lights on your porch at night.

3. Do Nothing

Bats use three different kinds of roosts: A short-term roost to take a break while hunting, a hibernation roost in which to keep warm during the winter, and a maternity roost in which they raise their babies. A short-term roost is temporary, while the other two types of roosts are used seasonally. If you wait patiently and don’t try to disturb the bats, they will eventually go away on their own. 

However, there are two problems with this approach. First, even if the bats eventually go away, there is a possibility that they may come back during the next season. In particular, female bats tend to return to the same maternity roost year after year. 

Furthermore, even if the bats leave on their own and do not come back, they typically leave feces behind. Bat excrement can contain bacteria and fungi that can spread disease to humans. It can also damage the materials of your porch. 

Contact Skedaddle for Bat Removal Services

While these methods may help to deter bats from your porch, wild animals can be determined and unpredictable. Even if they work, you still need to deal with the aftermath. When we perform wildlife control in Burnaby, it includes cleaning and decontamination. Find out more about the services we offer in your area.