Bats – Pest Control and Removal
Wherever they may go, bats can leave quite the mess. Whether a colony takes up residence in the attic or in the voids of walls, their foul odors can be smelled throughout the building. Not only this, but bat droppings have microbes that can damage the materials of the home and the lungs of the people living there. Getting rid of these pests is not exactly easy, which is why bat removal should only be handled by trained wildlife experts.
What Kind of Damage Can Bats Cause?
Unlike mice, bats don’t create the obvious damage of chewing large holes. Bats are small enough to fit through holes less than one inch in diameter. This means they’re not to blame for any cavities you might find in the walls or the roof of your building. However, there are many other property damage risks involved when bats infiltrate your home or office.
There are three main types of property damage bats can cause:
- Spreading disease: Like other pests, bats can carry rabies. While it is unusual for bats to bite humans, it is better to protect yourself and your family or coworkers by removing yourselves from the bat-infested building. Aside from rabies, bat guano may also contain Histoplasmosis spores, which negatively affects the human respiratory system, especially in the young, elderly, and immunocompromised.
- Bat mite damage: Often mistaken for bed bugs, bat mites often hop to humans as a host. Bat bugs, which originally suck the blood of bats, can latch onto your skin, much like mosquitos or ticks, and cause itchy, somewhat painful bites. These mites can live up to a year if they exist in the right environment, and they may continue to plague you and others who reside in the bat-infested building.
- Structural damage: Bat urine and guano can accumulate over extended periods of time. Accumulated waste will begin to drip and seep throughout the building, and this waste can soak through the sheet rock and ruin insulation. Eventually the structure of the building may be weakened and unstable.
Aside from the obvious threat of costly repairs, these three hazards can lead to another unwanted risk: the devaluation of your property. Tenants won’t remain in an apartment with the nuisance of bats and their odor, and potential homebuyers will withdraw their consideration of a home whose walls are stained with bat guano.
Symptoms of a Household Bat Infestation
If you suspect you may have a bat infestation in your home, check for the following to confirm:
- An accumulation of guano. (This looks similar to rodent droppings but there are a few key differences that distinguish this from your everyday mouse excrement. Guano is more prone to cluster near the bat roost, and it has a shiny and speckled appearance attributable to the bats’ diet of insect wings.)
- White urine stains on the windows.
- Stains around crevices and cracks in the walls or ceiling.
- Dropping beneath overhangs in the building’s structure.
- Squeaking noises, or the sounds of crawling and scratching in the attic around dawn/dusk.
- Smears of dirt and grease.
What To Do if You Suspect a Bat Infestation
If you suspect a bat infestation in your home, you’ll need to call a professional bat removal company to rid you of the problem as soon as possible. Our exterminating professionals here at Island Pest Control are trained to look for all signs of a bat problem, including the holes they would use as entry and exit points. We practice the best and safest bat removal techniques, so that you don’t have to worry about ridding your building of these pests by yourself.
Once we have ensured the removal of all bats from the building, all crevices will be sealed to ensure the bats no longer return. At this stage, we can begin work on cleaning up any urine or guano, as well as removing any bat mites that may reside in the home.
When you call the bat control experts at Island Pest Control, you won’t have to worry about a thing. We are experienced exterminators who will get the job done right the first time.
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Call 843-681-5188 or fill out this quick form for Bat removal!