During this spooky season you are probably seeing lots of bat decorations for Halloween. It is doubtful that these are very scary to adults, but if you find a real bat (or more) making a home in your attic or flying around the inside of your home or business, you could find yourself in a bit of a panic. You might wonder “how did they get into the building?” and more importantly “how do I get them out?” Here is some information about bats that you need to know.

Flying Mammals

Bats are not rodents, but rather the only mammals capable of true flight. These flying mammals are divided into two major groups: medium- to large-size Megachiroptera (or mega bats) that eat fruit, pollen, or nectar(some eat small land animals and fish) and smaller Microchiroptera (or micro bats) that eat mostly insects. The three most common nuisance (colonizing) species of bats in the United States are the Little Brown Bat, Big Brown Bat, and Mexican Free-Tail Bat.

Echolocation

Bats are not blind—they see in black, white, and shades of gray. Some bats also “see” their world through a highly sophisticated sense of hearing called echolocation. They emit short bursts of high-pitched sounds that bounce off of objects in their path and return to the bat as echoes. From these echoes, they can determine the size, distance, and traveling speed of objects like insects.

Reproduction

Most female bats have only one baby (pup) per year—that weighs up to 25 percent of her body weight! Twins and quadruplets occur in a few species and some tropical bats can have two pregnancies per year. Big Brown Bats and Mexican Free-Tail Bats mate in October and have a delayed fertilization period during their winter hibernation, then after a 60 day gestation, they will give birth to one or two pups in early June. Amazing fact: a female bat gives birth while hanging by her feet and then catches her pup in her wings as it drops!

Health Risks

Bat droppings (guano) and urine can corrode wood/metal, causing structural damage as well asinsulation contamination. Other insects and animals can be attracted to the scent which can create a bigger pest problem. In addition to the foul odor, the waste can also grow fungal spores that people can breathe in, leading to the lung disease histoplasmosis. In addition to these health risks, a majority of the cases of rabies transmission in the United States have come from bats.

Bat Removal, Exclusion, and Control

At Wild Trappers we are properly trained to remove all bats from your property. After properly inspecting your property and identifying the species of bat, we will seal off all possible secondary entry points, install exclusion removal devices on the primary entry points, and remove all bats from the building safely. Call us at 770-618-9481 to remove bats or any other wildlife nuisances from your property or contact us through our online form today.