Bats have long been known to be beneficial
because they eat insects. However, they can be-
come a pest when they move into attics, barns
and soffit areas of our homes. This article will
detail different problems bats create when they
roost in or on our buildings and then we will
explain the methods of control available to stop
these problems.
There are many species of bats throughout
the world. In fact, bats comprise the largest
segment of mammals in the world. It is estimated
that over 25% of the worlds mammals are bats.
As man infringes upon their natural habitat's, bats
get displaced and sometimes move into our
homes and other buildings. There are many bat
infestations that I have seen over the years and
new ones seem to be occurring all the time!
The most common entry point for bats in
the home is through the gable or attic vents which
can be found on most houses. This vent allows
hot air to exit the attic and most attics have these
vents on either side of the home. Initially, bats will
hang from the screening which is behind the louvers.
CLICK HERE TO SEE A PHOTO OF BATS HANGING ON A VENT
The screening provides a secure hanging place and
the louvers offer shelter. Over time, the screening
will break down and bats will quickly move inside
where roost sights abound. Once inside, the
bats will hang from the rafters and ceiling boards.
Their droppings will begin to accumulate posing
a health hazard and making a mess. These droppings
have been found to contain many contaminants and
should not be allowed to accumulate in the home.
Bat guano and urine has a strong pungent odor as well
and will creep into the living area in a short
period of time. Many times their droppings and urine
fall into a remote wall space and can remain
undetected. Other times it quickly stains ceilings
in living areas giving the residents tell tale
evidence that something needs to be done.
CLICK HERE TO SEE A PHOTO OF BAT GUANO IN AN ATTIC
If you every find a buildup of guano in your home be
sure to act immediately and remove it. There are all
types of microorganisms which can flourish in their fecal
matter - histoplasmosis being one of better known - which
could present a hazard to residents. For this reason
alone you should act to keep them out and then to have all
excrement removed. For most dropping removal you
should wear a RESPIRATOR. Be sure to use one with
good filters and charcoal. This will help filter
out any noxious gas associated with cleanup. Be sure
to wear some old clothes you can preferably throw
away but if you intend on keeping and cleaning them,
be sure to wash them alone to prevent cross
contamination. Once all droppings have been bagged
in some type of strong plastic Hefty bag you can
go start cleanup. Do this with a product called
ROUGH'N READY which is a strong disinfectant. It will kill
off all virus and bacteria as well as remove some
of the smell. However, if the smell persists one
week after cleanup, you will have to apply some
NNZ or QUICK ACTION. These materials specialize in the
breakdown of organic compounds which create the
odor. By attacking the source of the odor they are
able to prevent it from coming back. These products
can be applied with a standard Pump Sprayer or
simply a bucket and sponge. We have some sprayers
featured below which will serve you well for doing
this job. Be thorough and complete with your efforts
if you want to remove the odor altogether. The use of
a BLACK LIGHT can really aid in helping to identify
just where you need to treat since it will reflect
clearly all locations which are contaminated. If the
Guano has fallen down into wall voids, the use of
a FOAMING TOOL may be needed. This device turns
the solution into a foam much like shaving cream.
You will need some FOAMING AGENT added as well.
When treating wall voids, regular liquid has a
tendency to run straight down and miss key parts
of where the odor is active. The use of Foam for
such applications insures you get good distribution
and coverage. By filling the void with the foam
you will hit all areas where the odor is living
so it can be neutralized completely. Now that you
have cleaned up the mess they have made it is just
as important to exclude them from the home.
There are many products available which will
force bats to find another place to live. Although
we advocate the conservation of bats, we also
understand the problems they present. It is not
acceptable to share your home with bats given
the mess and health risks associated with their
droppings. However, keeping bats out can be
accomplished without hurting them. The following
products are easy to use and provide options
of control methods depending on where the
bats are a problem, how hard it is to reach these
sights and whether the bats are inside or outside.
If bats are entering the structure through the
attic gable vent, soffit vents, cracks or other small
entrances, use BAT SCREENING to cover them up.
This screening is easy to bend, cut, adhere and it is
UV protected so it will last a long time. Use it to
screen over gable vents, soffit gaps, seams around
facia boards or other entry points created by
normal construction gaps and tolerances. Simply
staple it to the home. It can be cut with scissors
and has been treated to take direct sunlight without
breaking down. It will keep bats from entering and
can be applied from inside the home as well as on
the outside. Use it inside or outside, depending on
how easy it is to access such points. If bats are
currently living in the areas you want to protect, you
will need to do this work after they leave. This
is usually at night. Make sure you don't trap any
inside. If you can't apply it at night and want to be
sure that all are out before you seal them in, then
attach the screening from the top and sides but leave
the bottom loose. The screening will now act
as a one way valve as bats will be able to leave
but not get back in. They are not the best
flyers so they can't navigate up and under the
hanging screen. Although they have strong teeth, they
will not use them for chewing through material
like the screening. Furthermore, this Screening is
rigid and tough. It's designed to keep it's shape
and to endure some abuse. This insures it won't
break down even if they do come back and land on it
over and over attempting to get inside. If the
Screening is too rigid for the area you need to
protect, the BAT NETTING might be better suited
for the job. This product is not as strong as
the screening. However, it is quite flexible and
supple allowing you to install it many different
ways. Like the screening, it can be installed over
siding by just stapling the top above the entrance
areas and letting it hang down. The big advantage
of the netting is that one can custom fit it to
whatever it is you are trying to protect. Since
the netting will bend and shape - much like
wrapping paper - you can mold it around corners,
soffits, gutters and any odd part of the structure
which may be allowing bats to enter. The other
advantage of the Netting is that it's not as
visible as the Screening. However, the big
drawback is that it's not nearly as strong. Since
it's thinner and frail compared to the Screening,
Netting will break down a lot faster and installations
are not permanent or as long lasting. Expect to get
6 months to a year from any section installed;
doubling or tripling up on the layers installed will
help to lengthen this time. Using it this way is
definitely suggested when making placements over hard
to reach or high areas. One other way to use Netting is
to stretch it out over wide spaces of air through which
bats are flying and either scaring people or making a
mess. Though bats aren't intending to be a nuisance,
they can become one when they establish flight paths
under car ports, above patios or over pools. Since
bats are very much creatures of habit, once they
get these flight paths established, they will
use them over and over again. If you have some bats
flying around your pool, stretch out some netting
on the sides where they are approaching. It's easy
to pull up the Netting with NETTING CLIPS. These special
clips attach to the Netting and are slotted to fit
cables. Using a couple of hooks and/or pulleys, its
easy to configure some Netting which can be put in place
quickly or taken down just as fast. Such installations
are perfect for creating a "no fly zone". Bats will
detect it's existence and learn to fly elsewhere. This
configuration is excellent when problem bats are flying
over pools or other areas in the yard where they are
not wanted.
If you have direct access to the entry point,
there are other products to use if the screening
would be too hard to apply or just unsightly.
4-THE-BIRDS GEL is a product which comes in
calking tubes and applied with a calking gun.
It is more commonly used on ledges, tree limbs
and other roost sights of nuisance birds. The gel
is thick and sticky. It adheres well to any surface
and lasts a long time. When the bats land on it
they will not like the feel of it and quickly leave.
This product has been used on louvers of gable
vents as well as holes where bats are entering.
If you are unable to reach these entry points,
4-THE-BIRDS LIQUID is the same material but
in a liquid form. You apply it with a PUMP SPRAYER
and can treat hard to reach entrance ways. This
product will not hurt the bats as it is not a poison.
It simply provides a surface bats will avoid. Of course,
you can always attempt sealing up as many access points
as possible which should lead to 100% elimination. Log
homes, older homes which have experienced a lot of
settling and designs that have a lot of gaps tend to be
structures which offer a lot of entry points for
roosting bats. Such structures can be made "bat proof".
This process involves the use of either expanding foam
or expanding foam with repellent. Since bats will
continue to return to homes they identify as good
roost sites, any attempts to seal them out must be
done with patience and persistence. It can be done
but don't expect success with the first try. Most
jobs will involve one big application followed by
2-3 small spot jobs to finish the job. And the best
material for the job is a professional line of products
called PUR FOAM SEALENT. These cans are self
charged and good for small jobs. If you have
a lot of work to do, it would be wise to
invest in one of the professional FOAM GUNS
and maybe even the 24" FOAM GUN. These
tools will enable you to apply the sealent
quickly and precisely without much waste
or missed applications. In other words, they
will more then pay for themselves. You'll
need the FOAM CANNISTERS for these guns, which
easily fit on either applicator, and cover
a much larger area then the smaller cans.
The better foam for keeping bats out is
the FOAM WITH REPELLENT. This cannister
comes with expanding foam but includes a
strong repellent which insects and animals
do not like. It may be just what you need
to make sure your bats and other undesirable
home invaders aren't able to find their way
inside quite as easily as they have in the
past. Be sure to keep your guns clean by
using some FOAM GUN CLEANER. This will
help keep the gun functioning and ready to
go to work when next needed. Bat exclusion will
work but if you attempt such work, use the right
materials. This line of foam - especially the foam
with repellent - will keep bats away once and for all.
If you are not able to determine the route of entry
your bats are using to access your home, you may need
to use a BAT DETECTOR. This tool is great for identifying
routes of entry/exit through which bats travel. It works by
"listening" to the sonar bats use to move about. It
has a tiny transducer which is able to receive their signal
for up to 200 feet away. The best way to use it is to
turn it on while on any one side of your home, preferably
around dusk, and listen. The Detector will convert bat
sonar to an audible sound and then play the sound on
it's built in speaker. Expect to hear a series of clicks
starting slow as bats emerge. These clicks will vary as
activity changes. When flying, the clicks will be fairly
static and flat but as insects are identified, the clicking
will increase up to the point of when the target it consumed.
At that point the clicking will stop. This same sequence
will occur as bats find other bats and communicate. Since
most bats emerging from structures are part of a colony,
there will be communication and hence, a lot of clicking.
The Bat Detector can be used to find bats as they fly.
Since bats rely on their sonar to locate food,
communicate amongst themselves and to simply navigate
the night skies, if you keep the Detector on pointed
at likely flight ways you will hear bats as they fly
around. This is a common hobby among bat enthusiasts
who are interested in following nighttime fly ways of
local populations. The Detector can also be used while
in the attic. By pointing it in different directions
you will be able to identify which side of the attic
is being used for nesting and roosting.
BAT SCAT is a granule which can be spread
in the attic or anywhere they are roosting. It releases
an odor bats do not like. It is weather resistant
and will last about three months per application.
Bats do not like it's smell and will leave treated
areas. However, this smell may make it's way
into the home. If you want to use it in the attic,
we suggest using a small amount of it to see if it will
filter into the living area. This will let you know
if it will be a problem getting into the house. Another
option is to use some of our GRANULE GUARDS. These are
plastic holding containers which are generally used
outside to protect liquids or granules from the sun
and rain. However, they work well for Bat Scat
applications. Add 1/2 lb of Bat Scat per Guard and
place them out in areas where the bats have been
active. The Guard will allow the odor to permeate
as if it were applied loosely but the advantage of
applying it this way is that you can easily remove
Guards in case the smell gets too strong. Another
advantage of using it this way is that you can hang
the guards from the rafters allowing you to get
the material that much closer to where bats are
roosting. You can also use them to chase bats
away from gable vents by placing Bat Scat in
a Granule Guard and hanging it up inside the attic.
This enables you to place it right where the bats
are roosting so it will be most effective.
Another option you may employ is the use of
Ultrasound. This is the use of a high pitched
frequency of sound, generally only detectable by
animals, which mimics the distress sound of an
animal. Ultrasound has been found to work well at
repelling birds, rats, mice and bats. The sounds
emitted are that of an animal in distress which in
turn alarms the nesting or roosting colony. The
theory is that the colony should then become wary
of the nest sight and move out. However, this doesn't
always work so well in the real world. There are many
factors for which prevent them from working well.
First, ultrasound has no penetrating capabilities.
If the attic is not wide open, the sound will only
travel where it can. Protected zones become safe
hideaways which existing populations will readily
use. Secondly, ultrasound can only reach about 25
feet away from transducers effectively. Though the
sound can reach further, it really only has an
effective range of 25-30 feet. Once animals are
more than 30 feet away they will acknowledge the
distress sound but will not generally move away.
This effective zone is greatly diminished when
the transducers trying to project the sound are
made from paper. In order for ultrasound to be
most effective, transducers should be constructed
of ceramic. This substrate is best suited for the
transmission of sound with high frequency. Many
of the units being marketed today have paper
speakers used to transmit the sound which in turn
decrease the effective range even further. You
won't be able to get more than 10 feet of coverage
when speakers made of paper are being used. Thirdly,
animals which colonize, like bats, are less likely
to move away from areas where ultrasound is being
used. This is because the area is a known sight for
young animals which emit distress sounds all the
time. Adult bats expect to hear these sounds.
Installing such a device will not work well at
chasing existing bats away. However, they do work
well when installed either before bats move into
a location or when just after they leave for winter.
Bats are migratory installing a unit after they
leave will insure they won't use it again. If they
do return the following year they will find the
sound distressing and simply move on. If you have
been having an ongoing problem with bats in a
structure such as a home, church or other building
where they return year after year, consider installing
a unit like our ULTRASOUND DEVICE. This is a commercial
unit which has four transducers insuring complete
coverage for an area up to 2500 sq/ft. Just follow our
guidelines for proper placement and be sure to
keep it inside and you will be able to use one
effectively. If you have a small area to protect,
consider one of our smaller ULTRA SOUND DEVICES
which are more for the average home. It may take
more then just one of these smaller units to
get the needed coverage since they are not nearly
as good at getting to all the areas nuisance bats
may be roosting.
If you are like many homeowners who have
a bat invasion but have lived with it too long be-
cause you knew the bats were keeping the
mosquito population down, there is a way to
get the bats out but also to keep them. First
identify where the bats are coming in and out
of the home. Next, install the bat screening
we talked about above using it as a one way
valve. At the same time, install a BAT HOUSE
alongside this entry point. The bats will have
no place to roost so they will utilize whatever
roost sight they can find. In some cases, placing
some of their guano on the house landing pad
will enable them to find it quicker. Once they
move into their new home, you can relocate it
where you want. Try to keep it where it will
have a similar temperature and sun exposure
as it did when it was hanging on your home.
In general, the less the change when relocating
the bat house increases the odds that the bats
will stay.
Nuisance bats in your attic or vent areas
can create a mess with their droppings. Although
the bats are not dangerous, their guano carries
disease and should not be left to accumulate in
the home. Bat screening can be used to keep them
from entering small seams. Bat Scat and 4-the-Birds
can be used to stop them from roosting in treated
areas. If you want to keep the bats for insect
control, than install a bat house when you do the
exclusion.
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