Why You Should Never Try to Remove Bats Yourself

Posted on November 30, 2020 by virginia

Although not necessarily considered one of the smartest mammals in the Animal Kingdom, bats sure are sneaky. They are so small that they can squeeze through an opening the size of a tic-tac! This ability makes them a top nuisance animal for homeowners all across the Midwest, especially those who live near large bodies of water. If you suspect that you might have bats in the attic or other area of your home, you could be right. After all, the signs of a bat infestation are hard to miss. But beware: Never attempt to remove bats yourself.

Continue reading to learn why, and what you should do instead to get rid of bats in your house.

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Professional Licensing

One of the first things you should know about bats is that they are governed by many wildlife laws in Virginia, and on a federal level. For instance, it is not legal to keep a bat as a pet, nor transport it to other areas of the state or country. It is also illegal to harm or kill bats. The work involved in the wildlife rescue and control industry, particularly those who deal with bats, require professional licensing by the state. Without the proper permits and licenses, it is not legal to handle and distribute bats.

Transmissible Diseases

Bats are not likely to attack, but have been known to under provocation or threat. If you attempt to approach, touch, or trap a bat, it could respond aggressively, and bite or scratch you. You do not want any interaction with a bat at all considering they are common carriers of several infectious diseases, such as Leptospirosis, Rabies, ticks, fleas, mites, lice, and more. You also do not want your pets exposed to such diseases.

Structural Damage and Disarray

Even if you could find a way to remove any roosting bats in the house, you will still be faced with the task of dealing with the mess they left behind. Bat infestations are very messy. Not only do they cause a wide range of structural damages to floorboards, ceilings, walls, insulation, and electrical wiring, but they also saturate their surroundings with massive accumulations of urine and guano. These droppings can seep through drywall, and show as stains on walls and ceilings. They can also cause lingering odors in the home.

How to Get Rid of Bats in the House

The only solution to getting rid of bats in your house safely is to hire a licensed Virginia bat removal company. They have the proper licensing, insurance, training, and resources to safely extract bats and clean up after them. More established and reputable companies can also offer minor restorations such as attic insulation replacement.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control Services You Can Afford

Call Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 when you need to get rid of bats in Virginia. We use safe and humane methods to deliver effective 24 hour bat control for residential and commercial properties throughout Virginia. We also offer restoration and repair services for damages caused by bats. We serve all of Virginia, including Richmond, Petersburg, Short Pump, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and all of their surrounding areas.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Common Damages Caused By Bats in the Attic

Posted on November 23, 2020 by virginia

If you have just one or two bats in the house, you are probably not going to have the need for extensive renovations. However, it is a fact that bats are not solitary animals, so where there’s some, there’s likely to be more. Finding just one or two bats in the attic means that the infestation has not yet had time to grow, which is a lucky scenario for any homeowner since this also means less damage has been done. If the colony goes unnoticed and has room to expand, a plethora of damages can occur in a short amount of time.

Continue reading to learn what types of structural damages bats tend to cause, and what you can do to prevent such damages to your Virginia home.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Common Damages From Bat Activity

► Drywall Damage

Bats, just like all other mammals, must expel their waste. This is the number one source of bat damage. Bat feces, also known as guano, are a hazard waste that can soil floorboards, ceilings, walls, electrical wiring, and attic insulation. Bat droppings can seep into all of the attic’s surroundings, and eventually make its way into the walls and ceilings of actual living quarters of the house. Not only does this stain drywall, it causes embarrassing and foul odors in the home. If these circumstances are terrible enough, bat infestations can also lead to parasite infestations, primarily bat mites, which are very similar to lice and equally transmissible to both people and pets.

► Roofing

Bats oftentimes find their way into wall voids and attic spaces through openings in the roof. Whether tile, asphalt shingles, or wood shake, bats only need about a 3/8ths an inch to fit through a hole. Loose or missing shingles are frequently to blame, but bats have also been known to peel back roof shingles or ply boards, and squeeze their way inside.

► Bat Diseases

The scariest risk posed by bat infestations in the attic are communicable bat diseases like Rabies. It is critical to your safety and the safety of everyone else in your home to never attempt bat removal on your own. Never try to touch, trap, catch, or kill a bat under any circumstances. As a protected species, not only is this illegal in your state, but it is also very dangerous for people, pets, and bats themselves.

Bat droppings also pose several health risks, such as histoplasmosis. Histoplasmosis is a potentially-fatal lung infection caused by the inhalation of Histoplasma fungal spores that grow in guano. These spores become airborne and travel through a home’s ductwork and can affect both people and pets. This infection is especially dangerous to elderly individuals and people with suppressed immune systems.

Hire Professional Bat Control Service

Whether you have one bat in the house or an entire colony of bats in the attic, a Virginia bat removal and control company will remove the bats, suggest methods to keep bats from returning in the future, and implement such services upon your request. They retain the latest technologies and innovative advancements in the industry to provide safe and humane bat extraction and exclusion services for both residential and commercial properties. In addition to getting rid of bats, they can also provide comprehensive bat cleanup and restoration services to correct the mess and damage they tend to leave behind.

Who to Call for Virginia Bat Control at an Affordable Price

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 and its 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.

4 Areas of a Home You Might Find a Bat

Posted on November 5, 2020 by virginia

Although bats have ecological value, we do not one them roosting around our properties. They can cause a range of structural damages inside and outside, and pose a long list of health and safety hazards. For these reasons and more, it is in your best interest to resolve a nuisance about problem before it can get worse. One of the best ways to protect your home from nuisance bad infestations is to implement routine inspections of your property.

Start with some of the more common areas bats like to hide, including these 4 spots below.

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Top Roosting Spots for Bats

Check these areas of your home to see if there are any bats roosting inside!

❶ Attic

Bats love the dark warm climate of an attic space, which is why you typically find colonies roosting here. Attics are one of the first places professional bat abatement specialists check when they are implementing a property inspection for bat activity. After the sun sets, the air currents come in through the vents, cooling the attic down. Bats are sensitive to such air currents, so they awaken them every evening when it is time to go hunt for insects. The cycle continues until an extraction is performed.

❷ Crawl Space

Crawl spaces are another common place to find roosting bats, and for much of the same reasons you find them in attics. Crawl spaces are dark and warm, making for a cozy spot to rest during the day. They are also accessible through gaps and openings high in the house, or through conduits and utility vents.

❸ Chimney

Chimneys are very common spot for bats to roost, particularly because they are so easy to access. They can also crawl down from the fireplace through a wall, crack, or gap. The most common signs for bats and chimneys are seeing accumulations of guano (bat droppings) around the structure.

❹ Roof

Bats are also known to choose rooftops for roosting. They particularly target the corners of a roof, near the vents in the upper siding or the roofing and louvers. Bats will also roost underneath shingles, especially in tile roofing systems. This can cause all sorts of damage, including missing shingles, cracks, water leaks, and more.

What To Do if You Find a Bat

If you discover bats living in or around your property, it is important to immediately separate yourself and your loved ones (including cats and dogs) from the vicinity of their roosting area. Under no circumstance should you ever attempt to touch or trap a wild bat. Your next step is to contact a licensed Virginia bat removal company for emergency bat extraction services. Whether day or night, skilled professionals have the experience and resources necessary to safely remove bats from any location, at any time.

Where to Find Prompt and Professional Bat Removal in Virginia

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 with 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.