The Facts About Structural Damage Restorations for Attic Bat Infestations

Posted on August 31, 2021 by virginia

When a home or property has been invaded by bats, the degree of damage that accrues depends on the length of time the animals spent living within the said area. Bats are fascinating creatures but can unfortunately cause a considerable amount of structural damage and discomfort in a small amount of time. Attics, sheds, garages, porches, decks, crawl spaces, basements, roofs, and even outdoor jungle gyms for children can be desirable nesting spots for wild bats.

Continue reading to learn about the common home restoration solutions for bat damages; and to prevent bats from coming back in the future.

Richmond Virginia Bats in the Attic 804-729-9097

Common Damages Caused by Bats in the Attic

When bats invade an indoor area, such as attics and crawl spaces, the damages become much more evident. Bats enter our residential and commercial properties in order to seek shelter from harsh or cold weather. In these particular spaces, bats breed, feed, and nest for the entire season, unless they are discovered and eliminated sooner.

Bat roosting activity can cause quite a mess and extensive structural damages within a property. For example, urine and bat guano accumulation can saturate particle board, leaving unsightly yellow and brown stains on the ceilings and walls within the residence. This also causes lingering odors, which we will discuss further in this blog.

Not only will urine and dropping buildup weaken the flooring, soil insulation, and ultimately jeopardize the overall stability and foundation of your attic’s structure, but eventually, the smell of this accumulation will also begin to make its way through the property. These damages are repaired by removing the saturated floorboards and replacing them with strong sturdy ones. Then this area and the home will require odor removal.

Lingering Odors From a Bat Infestation

Odor and foul smells are another issue with bat infestations. Not only can these animals cause physical damages to wood, flooring, walls, and ceilings; they can be the root of a nasty smell that lingers within the property or home. Once an area such as an attic or crawl space is soaked through with bat droppings and other undesirable bat excrement, the smell will eventually take over and surpass the saturated area. This can also attract other pests like flies, gnats, fleas, lice, mites, and more.

This is one way home and property owners recognize a bat problem to begin with. It requires professional bat control services and equipment to securely remove these odors and mess. Typically, these same companies will offer restoration services as well. This way, you can remove a bat problem, clean up the mess, and repair the damages all through one company.

Additional Damages Caused by Bat Infestations:

✔ Ripped Attic Insulation
✔ Chewed Electrical Wiring
✔ Saturated Concrete and Particle Board
✔ Sheet Rock Damage
✔ Wall and Ceiling Stains
✔ Dry Wall Damages
✔ Lice, Ticks, and Flea Infestations
✔ Bat Diseases
✔ Roof Shingle Damages
✔ Garages
✔ Sheds
✔ Porches
✔ And More

How to Get Rid of Bats and Clean Up the Mess They Leave Behind

Do you suspect that you have bats in the attic of your Virginia home or business? If so, you need to act fast before the damages can worsen.

Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for comprehensive bat removal and control services in Richmond and all surrounding areas, including Richmond, Petersburg, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and all of their surrounding districts.

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Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

A Homeowner’s Guide to Installing Bat Houses

Posted on July 14, 2021 by virginia

Bats are very important to us, even if they can also be a nuisance at times. Not only do bats serve an ecological role in our surrounding environment, but they also contribute to the promise of our local economies, and more. There are many ways you can support local bat populations, without ever putting yourself or your property at risk. First, you can be sure to never harm, trap, or kill wild bats. Furthermore, you can install bat houses to give bats a place to rest their tired wings during the day!

Constructing, installing, and maintaining bat houses is a serious hobby since you do not want to hurt bats or put them in a hazardous situation. Also, many bats are protected by the state, or even federally, making it inhumane and illegal to put them in harms’ way. For this reason, you need to be sure you use the proper methods if you want bat houses on your property.

Continue reading to learn what you need to know before getting started on your bat house initiative!

Buying or Building Bat Houses

First, you need a bat house. You can choose to build your own, or you can simply purchase a pre-constructed bat house online or at your local home improvement store. If you choose to craft your own bat house, it is critical that you know how to operate and apply the necessary tool and materials for the project and follow all state laws and best practices for building bat houses. If you decide to build your own, here are some free bat house plans we recommend.

Bat House Installation Tips

Bat houses must be installed in certain areas, and in certain ways, to keep everyone safe, including the bats themselves. Usually, it is recommended to install bat houses on the edge of a property, away from the home, but close to a body of water or small group of trees. When it comes time to mount them, designate a wooden pole or pivot pole. Do not mount bat houses on trees because they will not get enough light, which creates interior warmth. Furthermore, mounting them on trees will make it more difficult for bats to enter and take flight, and makes them more vulnerable to predators.

How to Install a Bat House

Mount your bat house in an area that gets 6 to 8 hours of sun light. This means it should face South or East.

Install your bat house 12 to 20 feet off the ground or above the highest vegetation beneath it.

Keep bat houses at least 20 to 30 feet away from tree branches and other obstructions that can interfere with their flight.

Mount your bat house near a major water source, such as a year-round stream, creek, pond, river, or lake.

Are you having problems with nuisance bats around your house? Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for comprehensive bat removal and control services in Richmond and all surrounding Virginia areas. We serve all of Virginia, including Richmond, Petersburg, Short Pump, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and all of their surrounding districts.

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Summer is Bat Proofing Season

Posted on June 30, 2021 by virginia

Right is the time to really think about animal-proofing your house against nuisance bats. If you live near wooded or forested areas, or a large body of water, you are even more prone to bat activity around your property. Between the months of April and August, bats look for shelter in order to have their babies. Usually, that shelter winds up being residential attics! So, avoid being intruded by bats this season.

Use these bat control tips to ensure your home is fully protected all year long!

Protect Your House From Intruding Bats

Bats in the Attic

Although bats are Ecologically important to our surrounding environment and overall economy, they are terrible as house guests. When bats intrude our attics, crawl spaces, and wall voids, they can cause a long list of structural damages. Extensive drywall and insulation damages are just the tip of the iceberg, as their activity also destroys floorboards, stains ceilings, and causes terrible, lingering odors. Furthermore, bats are known carriers of several infectious diseases and nasty parasites, such as Rabies, Leptospirosis, lice, bat mites, ticks, fleas, and more.

How to Get Rid of Bats

When it comes to getting rid of bats, you never want to attempt the job yourself. Whether you have single bat in the house or a full colony of bats in the attic, your job is to contact a licensed Virginia bat removal company for professional assistance. If you are simply experiencing heightened bat activity around your property, and wish to abate any bat infestations or external property damages, you can implement some bat control methods on your own.

Do-It-Yourself Bat Control Tips:

► Locate Possible Entry Ways

Most bats can fit through a hole as small as 3/8ths of an inch! So, you can imagine just how easy it is for one to access your attic, siding, roof shingles, or other areas of your home. Take a walk around the outside of your house and look for holes, gaps, openings, and any other possible entry points for a bat.

Be sure to seal up anything you find, and then call a professional bat control company for more permanent solutions. They use top quality materials like caulk, mesh sheeting, stainless steel wool, and expanding foam insulation to seal out bats and keep your home looking nice.

► Implement Routine Inspections

After you are sure your home is sealed and protected against bat intrusions, it is wise to stay on top of routine inspections, both inside and out. Regularly check your attic and crawl space areas for signs of bats in the house. Also inspect the outside, looking closely at your siding, roofing, and nearby trees for signs of bat activity.

► Install Motion-Detection Technology

Bats will startle away at the eruption of bright light or noise. If you suspect that bats are coming too close to your property, or some particular area of your property, you could be successful keeping them away by installing motion-detection lighting or alarms. Now, if you have neighbors nearby, this might not be the most viable option, but this method can be useful in small applications.

Are you ready to get your home or business protected against bats? Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for comprehensive bat removal and control services in Richmond and all surrounding Virginia counties.

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