Do You Have Bats in the Attic?

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Got Bats in the Attic? Call 804-729-9097

Bat infestations are commonly discovered in residential attic spaces. And although it is an advantage to have a minimal amount of bat activity near your property, it is never a good situation to have them inside your home. Bats can cause an incredible amount of structural damage, and worse, pose several health and safety risks to both people and pets. If you find a bat colony living in your attic, the most important thing to do is act fast.

The longer you wait to have a bat infestation remedied, the more damage will occur, which in turn increases time and money spent fixing the problem. Furthermore, getting rid of bats in the attic is only the first step. After bats are excluded, the mess they left behind must be cleaned, disinfected, and repaired. Continue reading to learn more about bats in the attic, and what to do if you find one or more in your home.

Signs of a Bat Infestation

Unless by accident or coincidence, homeowners usually do not discover a bat infestation in their attics until the signs become more evident. Bats can actually go undetected for long periods of time when they are in attics since these areas are generally ignored or avoided. This is not good because bats will cause more damage the longer they are present. For this reason, it is wise to learn the signs of a bat infestation, especially if you live near wooded lots or bodies of water. These regions have higher wildlife activity compared to open or new construction residential developments.

The most common signs of a bat infestation include visible bat droppings (on window ledges, roof shingles, or around openings), strange bird-like sounds in the walls or ceiling, strange odors coming from the attic, yellowish-brown stains on walls or ceilings, oily stains around gaps or openings in roof or siding, and a lone bat in the house (usually where there’s one, there’s more).

What Happens When Bats are in the Attic:

A licensed Virginia bat removal and control company needs to be contacted immediately. Choose a company that provides 24 hour emergency bat removal and control service.

Your bat removal specialists will extract the bats using professional exclusion methods. They should also use non-lethal, industry-accepted methods and best practices for bat extraction.

Next, your bat removal specialists will implement the necessary proofing and exclusion maintenance needed to seal up your home and prevent future invasion.

Last, and upon your request, they will provide bat cleanup and repair service to eliminate hygienic hazards and restore your attic back to a safe and functional condition.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Call Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 if you suspect that you have bats in the attic. Our licensed and insured bat removal specialists are focused on safe and effective results, but more importantly, our client’s complete satisfaction. We serve all of Virginia, including Richmond, Petersburg, Short Pump, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and all of their surrounding areas with bat removal, bat control, bat cleanup and restoration, 24 hour emergency service, and much more!

The Differences Between Megabats and Microbats

There are two primary suborders that all bats can be categorized in depending on their particular biologics and physiognomies. These suborders are Microchiroptera and Megachiroptera. Continue reading to learn about them both, and the attributes that set them apart.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Megachiroptera – Fruit Bat

Classification of Bats

Bats are part of the Animal Kingdom, and further broken down into narrower classifications, including the Chordata Phylum, Mammalia Class, and of course, the Chiroptera Order. Within the Chirptera Order, bats are categorized into one of two suborders: Microchiroptera and Megachiroptera. Also referred to as microbats and megabats, these suborders are quite different in size, diet, habitat, and more.

Microchiroptera – Microbats

Microchiroptera bats are small, echolocating bats that maintain an insectivorous diet, with the exception of Vampire Bat species, which retain a dietary trait called hemotophagy, and consumes small droplets of blood on livestock like cows, horses, sheep, and goats. Other than Vampire Bats, microbats primarily eat a wide variety of insects, including moths, flies, mosquitos, grasshoppers, dragonflies, crickets, beetles, termites, ants, and more. It is rare, but some larger species of microbat hunt birds, lizards, frogs, smaller bats, or even fish. They generally roost in trees, caves, abandoned mines, and buildings in forested or wooded areas that are near bodies of water. Microbats make up the nuisance bat populations in our area of the country, with 9 species of bat native to Virginia.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Microchiroptera Bat

In appearance, microbats are much smaller than megabats. They have much smaller bodies and smaller eyes, but they are not blind. They can see quite well, and use their echolocating abilities to better dive and dart for prey. Microbats also lack the claw at the second finger of the forelimb. As for ears, microbats have larger ears that retain a tragus, which is thought to aid in echolocation. Megabats have small ears and no tragus, but large visual cortexes that allow them to see well.

Megachiroptera – Megabats

Megachiroptera bats only includes one family, Pteropodidae, but can be further narrowed into 7 Subfamilies, including Nyctimeninae, Cynopterinae, Harpiyonycterinae, Macroglossinae, Pteropodinae, Rousettinae, and Epomophorinae, and 166 different species. Also known as megabats, old world fruit bats, and simply, fruit bats, Megachiroptera is a significantly different suborder of bats compared to Microchiroptera. They are much larger in size, and live in tropical and subtropical climates. The most significant difference is that they do not possess echolocation abilities, nor do they eat insects.

Instead, megabats have large eyes and have great vision. Furthermore, they maintain nectarivores and frugivorous diets that primarily consist of plant material, such as fruit, nectar, or pollen. Megabats make their homes in trees, shrubs, and sometimes caves located near edges of water. They play an integral role in the surrounding ecosystem because they help to spread seeds and pollen through feeding and elimination.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Call Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for safe and humane bat removal and control assistance in Old Dominion. We serve all of Virginia, including Richmond, Petersburg, Short Pump, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and all of their surrounding areas. We offer 24 hour bat removal, as well as, numerous residential and commercial bat exclusion services, such as bat cleanup and restorations for bat damages. We even provide insurance work! Contact us today for a free estimate.