The answers to these questions are a bit complicated. Bats are not likely to attack or bite unless they are sick, distressed, or provoked. This is why bat bites are so common in pets. Curious dogs and cats often scare bats, triggering them to bite or defend themselves. Similarly, when bats are rabid, under extreme distress, or caring for their young, they can become very defensive. The reason for their behavior in times like these is that bats are more scared of us than we are of them. If you see a bat, do not try to touch, catch, or harm it. If you follow these rules, a bat will likely never attack you. In terms of being dangerous, bats can transmit several types of infectious diseases if they bite. This is why regular vaccinations are so vital for pets. Be sure your dogs and cats are vaccinated for Rabies and other potential diseases. It is true that bats are known Rabies carriers; however, not all bats are actually infected with the rabies virus. Ultimately, it’s a gamble. You never know which bats are infected and which are not. The only way to tell if a bat has rabies is to test their blood. This can only be done correctly by the Virginia Department of Health. To be safe, it is best to treat all bats as if they are infected. This will protect you and your loved ones from potential exposure. This includes pets! Many people incorrectly assume that bats are blind. The truth is, no species of bat is naturally blind. In fact, most bats have pretty good vision. Bats in Virginia use echolocation to hunt for prey and navigate during flight, but they can also see quite well. In fact, they rely more on their vision to see long distances since these distances are beyond the range of echolocation. They have sufficiently-developed photoreceptor cells in their retinas (cones and rods), which allow them to see well during the day and the night. So bats are not blind, many just rely on other senses more than they do their eyesight to navigate during flight. To eliminate bats, it requires extensive experience and the proper resources. Most states have laws against harming and trapping bats since they are actually vital parts of our surrounding ecosystems. Furthermore, bats can be dangerous because they are known carriers of several infectious diseases. For these reasons and more, it is not safe to attempt bat removal on your own. You should hire a licensed bat removal and control company to provide these services for you. However, they are some helpful do-it-yourself remedies you can implement that some property owners claim have helped them prevent bats from being attracted to your property. For instance, you can install ultrasonic wave devices, predatory sound machines, or motion-detected lighting outside. You can also use certain household spices and oils to create a homemade bat repellent. Spices like chili powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, peppermint, menthol, ammonia, cloves, and eucalyptus are not welcome to bats. Add these to water and spray the perimeter of your home to thwart their curiosity. There are several tell-tale signs that bats are living in or around your home. The most common signs include strange noises coming from the attic, walls, roof, or ceiling. Likewise, these areas will commonly become stained from bat urine and droppings, so yellow and brown blemishes are another common sign of a large bat infestation in your home or building. Furthermore, foul odors from these areas will indicate an infestation as well. Spotting bat guano is another sure sign that bats are present on your property. You can tell bat guano apart from other animal droppings because it looks crumbled and black, and usually contains bits of insect debris. You will commonly find guano in the attic, on the roof, and around window seals. If you see bats swarming or flying near your home or roof, you can safely assume that they might be in your home as well. Contact our bat control specialists at 804-729-9097 and schedule a professional inspection to be sure. If you discover that there’s a bat in your house, do not panic. Keep in mind that the bat is more scared of you than you are of it. You do not want to provoke it or make it more nervous by acting nervous yourself. Here’s what to do instead: First, you need to contact Virginia Bat Pros for bat removal. Next, you can try to isolate the bat to one area of the home. So if it is in the bedroom, simply shut the door and leave one all the windows open to encourage the bat to fly outside. Leave the room like this until our bat control specialists arrive. The answer to this question largely depends on the type of policy and the particular carrier you have. For this reason, it is best to contact your homeowner’s insurance company and review the policy you have with them. In some cases, homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover wild animal damages because they believe it is the responsibility of the property owner to prevent animals from intruding and causing damages. These kinds of carriers imply that a home or property owner should be aware of animal infestations and stop them before they get out of control. They refer to past and current animal infestations as “maintenance issues,” which are not covered under most homeowners’ insurance policies. On the other hand, many homeowners’ insurance policies are compatible with restoration and repair work for bat infestations, and Virginia Bat Pros can work with them to get the job done right, at an affordable price. Our licensed specialists have more than two decades of combined hands-on experience in the bat removal and control industry. These credentials, along with our passion for safe and humane bat control, allow us to proficiently provide comprehensive bat exclusion and extraction services for both residential and commercial properties. This includes inspections, estimates, bat removal, bat control, bat prevention, gap sealing, bat cleanup, attic sanitization, restorations for bat damages, emergency service, and much more. We are even happy to provide free advice, anytime. We serve most cities and counties within the state of Virginia, including Richmond, Chesterfield, Chester, Midlothian, Bon Air, Short Pump, Charlottesville, Goochland, Louisa, Fluvanna, Orange, Waynesboro, Staunton, Albemarle, Powhatan, Amelia, Mineral, Gordonsville, Earlysville, Keswick, Henrico, Chesapeake, Hampton, Glen Allen, Elkton, Brandermill, Ashland, Woodlake, Southwest Virginia, Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Harrisonburg, Luray, Mechanicsville, Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Roanoke, Rockingham, Barboursville, Salem, Tidewater Virginia, Hampton Roads Virginia, Shenandoah, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Hanover.