How to safely and humanely remove bats.

How do you safely and humanely remove bats? Probably one of the most frequent questions we get as a bat removal company. There are two sides to this controversial issue as there are for most things. You have the side of the bats, protection from the federal government and the people that want to keep the ecosystem as equally as balanced as it always has been. Then you have the side of fear, a lot of people are terrified of bats. I mean they do swoop when they go into defense mode, even though that is rare, it can be very intimidating and scary. So how do you help people overcome that fear of bats? Fear of rabies, and histoplasmosis so they can remove the bats safely without killing them? Well, it takes a lot of practice, patience, and understanding that is for sure.

Bats leave behind many pheromones and fit into tiny and tight spaces. Now all animals have different pheromones, and they also can release them in different ways. I do not currently know the pheromones that bats release; all I could find when doing my research for this post was information on bat attraction spray. ALL the sprays listed ammonia as the ingredients. Now I am no expert in attracting bats, but ammonia? They can not be serious? Spraying ammonia in a bat house seems like it would attract more cats then bats. Bat be crazy y’all.

Removing Bats

The best and only way to remove bats safely is to use some mesh or screening that you can put on their entrances to the home to allow them to leave. That is the key here; you must give these bats at least one space to leave the house, or else you are just mass murdering bats in your home. What could even happen is the bats could try to find a new route out of the house and end up in the living space of your home. No one wants to have to deal with bats, let alone having bats in their living area while they are trying to relax.

Bats are straightforward creatures, and they are smart. They have their spaces on a home for them to use as entries and exits. When you use one-way mesh and screening devices for these areas and give them enough room to still be leaving home safely, they oblige and exit the home. Just like humans and most anything, bats need to eat and drink. They do not have food or water resources in your home/building. What this means is that if they want to leave safely, they will have no choice but to fly out of areas left open or die of starvation and dehydration.

Bat Removal Materials

There are so many different types of metal mesh screening you can use to allow these bats to leave safely. The most common types you are going to find are aluminum, copper, brass, bronze, and mild steel wire mesh. There is also Pre-galvanized and stainless-steel wire mesh. These are just a few examples of the proper type of product to use to eradicate bats. The best thing to do is question people, even professionals on what kind of product they will be using on your home. It is your home, and your money, anyone that doesn’t want to provide a list of materials might not be the right company for you.
What’s the next most significant material used for sealing up any other areas? Bats are resilient and can get into a dime size hole (about 1/8 of an inch).

These means you need to be using the most long-lasting airtight solution to make sure they cannot come back in anywhere else. The most common items you will hear for doing this airtight sealing is caulk or spray foam. Now caulk is more expensive than spray foam, and you get what you pay for in this situation. Spray foam is the cheaper option. At two dollars and change a can compared to caulk, which is around eight dollars a tube. You get a longer lasting product with the right caulk. Especially if it’s more weatherproof when exposed directly to the elements outside compared to spray foam. Spray foam can start to deteriorate in only nine months when exposed to the outside elements.

Proper Safety

Using proper and safe materials is an essential part of safe bat removal. Everyone has seen those machines that give off this “sonic” sound that is supposed to repel the bats. Have you ever put lemon juice in a paper cut? Probably not, but after a while, your body would become accustomed to the pain of putting lemon juice in your paper cut. Just like bats may not like it for a while, but eventually, they will learn to tune out the sonic sound. This is probably one of the most common ways that people try to DIY their bat removal. The thing with bats is if they are comfortable and warm, they won’t be that willing to leave anytime soon. Giving them a safe way out without stressing them is a critical factor in safely removing them from your home.

Another good one we hear about is the mothballs. Oh, the mothballs are defiantly the most significant myth I would be more than happy to bust for everyone. So, something most people do not realize about mothballs is they contain naphthalene, which is a solid compound that slowly turns into a toxic vapor to repel moths. Now bats are inquisitive creatures, and one of the senses they are dependent on is their sense of smell. They love bugs, but they also like fruit in some cases, so if you are having issues with bats (which are federally protected) I highly suggest not using chemicals to get rid of them. Chemicals equal death for bats.

Conclusion

Now, this may sound crazy, but it’s true, this is the stuff people do y’all! We had a lovely lady call in and ask if we purchase bats for relocation. Unfortunately, we do not; we let them relocate naturally. Well, this lady had about five trash bags of bats that when they were hibernating, she went into her attic and collected them…. Just to clarify, this is super illegal and very ineffective to getting rid of your bats. Not to mention how dangerous handling bats is for you and the bat. Bats are very fragile, and just like any animal, it can be hard to predict how it will react to being moved while hibernating.

Safely and humanely removing bats is not a fun job to have. Having bats is not a fun problem. But know when you are hiring someone who is a professional to remove them that they are doing what is safe for the removal of bats. They care about the environment and making sure we help these animals thrive in a different environment that is not your home. So in a nutshell, this is how you safely and humanely remove bats.