HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE BATS IN THE ATTIC?

At Rid A Critter, we want homeowners across the region to know exactly what the critical signs of bats in attic are and what to look out for if you suspect a bat issue.

Bat infestations are common in homes with easily accessible and vulnerable attic spaces. Attic spaces provide a dark, warm space for bats to roost and be protected from predators and the environment.

In this article, we’ll cover the basics of how to tell if you have bats in your attic and what you can do about it.

Why Do Bats Choose Attics?

Bats can damage your attic insulation with their droppings, commonly called guano. Additionally, bats are one of the most common rabies vectors. It’s important to identify a bat problem early, so they can be safely and humanely excluded from the attic space before they cause extensive damage.

As natural bat habitats shrink due to human development, bats will resort to nesting inside buildings and other manmade structures. Bats love to nest inside attic spaces, because they provide a safe, dark, and warm place to roost during the day. Attic spaces also provide the warmth and safety for bats to raise their pups. Bats are able to fit through the tiniest gaps, entering your attic through rooflines, chimneys, gable vents, and any other cracks in your roof they can find. While not quite as noisy as raccoons or squirrels, you can still identify a bat problem easily if you know what the signs are.

Common Signs of Bats in the Attic

Here are a few common signs that you have bats in your attic:

The presence of bat droppings, or guano, inside your attic space is the most obvious sign that bats have invaded your home. Bat guano often accumulates in large piles, near entry points or underneath roosting sites. Bat guano can soil and compact the attic insulation, lessening its effectiveness. Additionally, bat guano often contains the spores that spread the fungal lung infection histoplasmosis.
Squeaking or scratching noises coming from your attic space is a common indicator of a bat problem. Bats are nocturnal and will spend much of the day sleeping, so you will often hear them around dusk or dawn.
A strong ammonia-like odor often indicates that you have a colony of bats depositing large amounts of urine and guano inside your attic.
Staining or grease marks near entry points, like soffits, vents, and gable ends, indicate that bats are entering and exiting the attic frequently. Bats have greasy fur, so when they use their entry points, they often leave these oily marks behind.
If bats are flying near your home at dusk, especially around the roofline, they might be nesting somewhere on your property.

What To Do If You Suspect Bats in the Attic

Due to their ecological importance and shrinking habitat, bats are federally protected. Removing bats improperly or harming them in any way can potentially incur heavy fines, so leaving bat removal to the experts at Rid A Critter can ensure that the bats are removed safely and carefully.

Our technicians employ a humane bat exclusion method, where we’ll seal off all the entry points except for the main channel and then install a one-way valve that allows bats to leave the attic but not get back inside (local, state, and federal guidelines permitting).

What NOT To Do If You Have Bats in Your Attic

At Rid A Critter, we almost never recommend trying to deal with a bat issue yourself. Bats are protected and require special considerations when coming up with an exclusion plan.

Never attempt to seal bat entry points yourself, as you might accidentally seal the bats inside your home. There are state and federal regulations, laws and guidelines that must be followed when considering getting bats out of your attic.

Another consideration is bat droppings. Handling bats and bat guano yourself without the proper protective equipment isn’t advisable, as bats can spread rabies through bites and scratches, and their guano can spread histoplasmosis.

Who To Call For Bat Removal Services?

If you discover bats in your property, contact a local wildlife removal company that has experience with bat removal. For homeowners in Georgia and Alabama, that would be our expert team members at Rid A Critter.

Our team will inspect your property, come up with the best solution to exclude and remove the bats, and give you options to prevent anything from returning. Trusting a licensed expert like Rid-A-Critter ensures that the bats are removed safely, and your home is protected against major damage and health risks.