Are Bats Dangerous in the House?

Are bats dangerous? Yes, but then again most wild animals are. Are bats dangerous in the house? Yes, of course! Bats may be small animals, but they can bring big messes and big health hazards. Bats are dangerous because of the health risks they pose to humans. The most well-known danger about bats is the disease rabies. While bats are a carrier of the rabies disease, not every bat has rabies. The only for sure way to confirm if a bat has rabies is to send it in for testing. Another thing that makes bats dangerous in the house is the mess they make inside. If there is a bat colony living in your house, there is going to be guano in the attic area. Guano, bat feces, contains fungal spores that when inhaled can cause a disease called histoplasmosis.

The longer the bats are inside the house, the larger the mess grows, and the more fungal spores are produced. Bats are incredibly difficult to get rid of. With the help of professional bat removal experts, getting rid of bats can be done safely and properly. A lot of people think that bats attack humans. Bats do not maliciously attack humans.

The only time a bat really scratches or bites a human is when the bat is trapped and defending itself. But, can you blame the poor little thing? The bat’s teeth and claws are the only weapons the bat has to protect itself. Bats are not dangerously aggressive, they are more scared than you may think. When a bat is loose inside a house and seems to be flying crazily, it is in search of an exit to get out and away from you! Kind of makes you think, just how dangerous are bats?

Do Bats Have Rabies?

Bats have rabies, but not all bats have rabies. Only about 2% of the entire bat population is carrying the disease. That does not mean you should not treat bats as if they are safe. If you find a bat in your house, do not touch the bat barehanded. A single bite from a bat is all that is needed to transfer the rabies disease. Having bats in your house is never safe. The bats must be removed safely by professionals. The only way to verify if a bat has rabies is by sending the bat off for testing so they can test brain tissue samples.

Rabies is a disease that attacks the central nervous system. Rabies can be treated if the infected person seeks medical attention immediately. The treatment for rabies consists of a series of shots of vaccines. It is not like the old horror stories of having 50 huge needles being stabbed into your stomach.

That’s How They Do It?

Instead, there is a series of four shots given within two weeks of being exposed to the disease. It is important to treat each bat as if it is infected because rabies is still a deadly disease. If the disease is not caught in time and symptoms set in, then it is too late for the treatment and the disease is almost always fatal at that point. Even though only a small percentage of bats carry the disease, there is no obvious way to tell if a bat has rabies.

It is not like the bat will be foaming at the mouth. Plus, the cost of the rabies vaccine is crazy expensive! Some prices we have heard from those who have gone through treatment have ranged from $8,000 to $13,000 per person! Professionals can get rid of the bats in the house for much less than that! Instead of going through the expensive and stressful process of rabies treatment, call professionals to help you get rid of the bats in your house.

Histoplasmosis

What is worse than just bats? The mess they leave behind contains health risks of its own. Bats eat and drink on a nightly basis, then they return to their roost. Well, after gorging on mosquitoes and drinking enough water, the bat will have to go to the bathroom. Now, bats do not poop where they sleep. They kind of have a designated area for bathroom breaks. Over time, the amount of bat poop will increase.

As time goes on the colony grows and more and more bats are creating a mess. Mounds and piles of guano can be found in attics if the colony has been there long enough. Bat guano should be treated as if it is hazardous waste. Do not attempt to clean or remove the guano from your attic without professional help. There are fungal spores within the fecal matter than can cause the disease histoplasmosis in humans.

Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease that can be fatal to those with a weaker or compromised immune system. The best way to avoid coming in contact with this disease is by calling professional bat removal experts to get rid of the bats first. The bats will need to be removed from the house before cleaning up. Once the bats have been removed from the house, the professionals will remove safely remove the guano and sanitize the attic space. That will eliminate the fungal spores that are responsible for transferring the disease. Depending on the extent of the damage the bats have caused, a full attic restoration may be needed. Full attic restoration is removing soiled insulation, cleaning, sanitizing, and reinstalling clean, new insulation. It is a messy job, so it’s best to leave it to the professionals.

Conclusion:

Bats are dangerous in the house or outside. There are dangers with all wild animals and bats are no different. Bats are capable of carrying diseases that are transferrable to humans, and the best way to avoid those diseases is to avoid bats. If you think a bat colony may have moved into your house, the best way to get rid of bats without risking your safety is by calling bat removal experts. Do not attempt to handle barehanded because you will expose yourself to the risk of contracting rabies. It only takes one bite from one infected bat to contract the disease.

You cannot tell if a bat has rabies by just looking at it. If a bat does bite or scratch, you always seek medical attention. It might be a small chance, but there is still a chance you have been exposed to rabies and will need immediate treatment. Bats are small and fragile animals, but bats are dangerous. They do not mean to harm us, but that does not mean that we should be sharing homes. Bats leave behind a hazardous mess once they do leave. The fungal spores in guano can affect your health. Avoid respiratory diseases like histoplasmosis by calling professionals to safely get rid of the bats and their feces. Bats have wings that can take them anywhere, they do not have to move into your home.