Why Bats Love Your Attic and How to Keep Them Out

Do you hear chirping sounds at night? Are your walls or ceilings the source of scrabbling noises or gradually increasing stains? Is an unpleasant smell drifting through your home? These can all be signs of a bat infestation, and for your safety, it is necessary to hire a professional for bat removal as soon as possible.

Bats are a hazard not only to human health but also to the integrity of houses and structures. These winged critters can cause significant structural damage, but the good news is that taking proactive measures can protect your health and your house.

Here are the basics of why bats love your attic and how to keep them out for good. Bear in mind that bats should always be removed by professionals, as their waste is toxic and many species are protected by federal law.

Why Do Bats Love Attics?

Look at Halloween decorations or scary movies, and you will not have to search for long to find classic images of bats escaping in droves out of a home’s rickety attic window. There is a reason for this stereotype: bats love attics.

The attic of a home is uniquely suited to providing an ideal nesting place for the nocturnal mammals. The dark, damp, secure location keeps them safe from predators and provides shelter from the elements. It may also provide ample access to bugs, depending on the rest of your property’s features.

Why You Should Care About Bats in Your Attic

Bats can be cute, and they provide essential ecosystem services such as bug control, but you should be concerned when they take up residence in your attic. Bats can destroy an entire house if left unchecked. Their waste (called guano) traps moisture, leading to wood rot and an extremely unpleasant smell. Rotting wood, expanding moisture, and more may gradually degrade your ceilings and support structures, leaving the home unsafe for residents.

Additionally, bats are among the most common vectors for rabies, an incurable illness. Bats may also spread histoplasmosis, a fungal disease that spreads spores from the guano to the lungs.

Consequently, the cleanup process is an incredibly dangerous project for most homeowners to attempt on their own. There, it can cause severe symptoms, including pneumonia. Yersiniosis, a bacterial infection that causes fever and gastrointestinal symptoms, may also be transmitted by bats.

How to Keep Bats Out of Your Attic

If you have bats in your attic, it is essential to act fast. Some of the most effective things you can do include:

• Sealing entry points: If you know how the bats are getting in, make sure those entryways are blocked. Holes as small as a dime provide enough space for a bat to make its way into your house. Professional pest control services can help you identify these hard-to-find entry points.
• Opening your property: If your land contains many hiding places, especially near the house (e.g., overhanging branches), remove these safe zones to discourage bats from choosing your home as a secure location.
• Covering outdoor devices: Chimneys, vents, and piping are all common entry points. Invest in caps or mesh to seal these areas without compromising their function.
• Changing your lighting: Bats are nocturnal, so they prefer the dark. Artificial lighting has been shown to deter bats by disrupting their normal rhythms and reducing foraging time because they do not want to be exposed to it. Additionally, some types of artificial light can disrupt the mating patterns of nearby insects, reducing bat food sources.
• Fixing your attic: Humid or stuffy attics may attract bats. Add ventilation to your attic and dry it out (either through the ventilation or by installing an additional component, such as a dehumidifier). These measures make the location less appealing.
• Maintaining your roof: The roof is one of the most common places for bats to enter. Even a single damaged shingle could be sufficient. Address any functional damage to the roof to reduce access points.
• Calling for help: In many cases, a bat problem is not limited to just one or two bats you can shoo away on your own. If you suspect that multiple bats have taken up refuge in your attic, calling the professionals is the best move. This protects you from the potential health effects of a bat infestation and offers personalized tools, such as one-way gates, that can prove more effective for bat control than DIY methods. Your jurisdiction may also have rules about how bats may be trapped or removed.

Get Help With Bat Control from the Pros

If your home is experiencing a growing bat problem, it is essential to step in before the issue worsens. The more bats you have, the harder it is to get rid of them.

The professionals at Spartan Animal & Pest Control can help you free your home from these nighttime visitors. Contact Spartan to set up an appointment and get your home back to the safe, clean, sturdy respite you deserve.