Bats are less harmful and more helpful than most people realize. North American bats don’t feed on blood and typically only bite in self-defense. Bats help with pest control by eating insects and some are important pollinators. Many North American bat species are endangered, meaning that bat removal has to be handled humanely by professionals.

Nevertheless, while bats mean no harm, they can expose you and your family to diseases, sometimes by biting but more often through their excrement. You may be able to prevent a bat infestation, but if you cannot, you need to call wildlife control in Milwaukee to have them removed.

Why Do Bats Roost in Homes?

Bats roost for two main reasons. In the winter, when the bugs and flowers they feed on are no longer available, bats hibernate. When their metabolism slows, their body temperature drops. This means that bats have to find a hibernation roost that is not only warm but consistently so. Bats give birth to offspring in late spring and early summer, at which time they also need a warm, safe place in which to raise their babies.

Bats are very small creatures, and they are vulnerable when they are asleep or hibernating. A roost that is inaccessible to predators offers them some protection when they are at rest.

How Can You Protect Your Home From Bat Infestation?

It is much easier to prevent bats from getting into your property in the first place than it is to remove them. If you do not already have a problem with bats, here are some steps you can take to prevent them from getting into your home in the first place.

First, look for potential entry points that bats could use to get into your home. These are small openings in the exterior. Bats can squeeze through an opening less than half an inch wide. However, they look for potential roosts that are high above the ground so that they can easily fly in and out. Chimney cracks, broken shingles, missing screens, and loose windows are all potential entry points for bats.

Once you have located any potential entry points, you then have to seal them off so the bats can’t get in. You do not need anything too fancy for this; you can use all-weather caulk or sealants such as the expanding foam kind that are available at your neighborhood hardware store. However, make sure that there aren’t any bats already in your home before you fill in the cracks; otherwise, you’ll trap the bats inside.

Because of their endangered status, it is against the law to harm bats or disturb them while they are hibernating or raising offspring. Therefore, if you have bats in your home, you can only remove them during certain times of the year. Specifically, bat removal can only take place after bats awake from hibernation but before they give birth, or after the babies are on their own but before the bats start hibernating again. Sealing off entry points while there are baby bats in your house could separate them from their mothers. If this happens, the babies will die. Not only could this get you in trouble with the law, but you then have to deal with the problem of dead animals in your house.

What Is Involved in Skedaddle Humane Bat Removal?

A problem with bats prompts you to ask “Where can I find bat removal near me?” You decide to call Skedaddle, and one of our trained professionals comes to your home. Our technician will first confirm the presence of bats in your home and determine where the bats are in their reproductive cycle. If the bats are not raising babies, removal can take place right away. Otherwise, we will monitor the situation to determine when it is safe to proceed. Find out more about the specifics of humane bat removal.