Bat removal costs $477 on average, but most homeowners pay between $228 and $726 to remove bats from their homes. To seal your home against bats can cost as little as $100, but to remove an entire colony, you could expect to pay $1,500 or more.
Removing bats from the attic involves installing exclusion netting on any entrance, sealing up unwanted holes, and then installing a bat house to prevent future roosting. The cost of bat removal from the attic averages around $400 - $600. In some cases, bats might roost in an attic vent.
Because bats are a protected species, total removal is discouraged. Instead, it is advised to exclude them from your home.
Bat Problems in Your Attic
Bat guano can introduce health risks to you and your family and damage your attic. Guano provides a hospitable environment for the fungal spores that cause Histoplasmosis, a respiratory ailment, to grow. When droppings accrue, the spores become airborne and can be breathed in by residents.
Bats are one of the most difficult species to remove, and are therefore a bit more expensive. They can enter a home through a crack as small as a quarter inch. It is highly recommended that a professional be used.
If you discover bats in your attic, call a professional to remove them safely. Your insurance won't cover this expense, and cleanup will also be your responsibility. Here are a few ways to prevent bats from damaging your home: Inspect and seal any entry points using caulk, steel wool, or metal mesh.
One way to get rid of bats is to use a product called a one-way exit valve—a device that allows the bats to exit, but doesn't allow them to return. This type of device works by providing a small hole that bats can pass through, but won't come back out of.
Once the cold weather breaks, the colony will leave your home naturally at the first opportune time.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that, in rare cases, can be fatal to humans. Rodents and cattle are the main carriers, but bats may also be infected. To prevent infection, it's important to avoid bat urine from coming into contact with broken skin, your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Ultrasonic Repellers
These devices emit high-frequency sounds that are disturbing to bats but undetectable to humans. They are an effective bat repellent in areas like attics and basements.
Bats have a strong sense of smell and are commonly thought to be repelled by certain natural scents. For this purpose, some homeowners use peppermint oil, cinnamon, eucalyptus oil, cloves, and garlic as bat repellants.
If you want to implement a practice to deter bats, putting up bright lights probably won't do the trick. It seems reasonable, as bats will avoid bright lights, but it often exacerbates the problem.
For the most effective bat removal, you should always contact licensed pest control professionals like Western Exterminator that know how to get rid of bats.
To seal your home against bats can cost as little as $100, but to remove an entire colony, you could expect to pay $1,500 or more. Though they are a boon to the ecosystem, bats can carry rabies, and a live colony can cause significant damage to a home.
Unfortunately, spotting a single bat typically means there are likely many more hiding in your attic. Bats are social animals, and hundreds of bats can live in a single colony. Your attic probably won't support a colony that large, but it's not unusual to find a dozen or more in a single home in North America.
Histoplasmosis can have a harmless form - but it can also lead to death. So having bats live inside of quarters where you or other people live is a scenario that should be avoided.
Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease contracted through airborne spores in bat droppings. Histoplasmosis symptoms may be anything from a mild influenza to blood abnormalities and fever, or even death. An eye condition has been linked to the bat disease histoplasmosis and can lead to blindness in those who contract it.
Dampen droppings with a water sprayer. Use a low-pressure stream of water. Clean up the droppings using soapy water and a mop or cloth. Disinfect affected surfaces with a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water).
Odor. Like sounds, odors are extremely difficult to describe. Most of the odor coming from a bat infestation is not produced by the guano, but by the bats themselves and their urine. As such, it has a musty, ammonia-type smell, and the larger the colony, the more pervasive and onerous the smell becomes.
Yes, bats return to the same place every night. They will also return to a known roost after being gone for months or years. They remember the location, especially if they are looking for a place during the maternity season, and they will return.
The most effective and humane way to remove bats is by using a bat valve in conjunction with a full home exclusion. A bat valve allows for bats to exit your home but not re-enter. Once the bat valve is installed, all other entry points will be sealed, allowing for bats to only exit through the valve.
March – Some begin coming out to find food as it gets warmer. April – Most have gone out of hibernation by now and are very active and very hungry, they'll be out foraging for food every night. June – Baby bats are born. Adult bats are consuming large amounts of insects.
Natural repellents like cinnamon, peppermint, and eucalyptus oils can deter bats due to their strong sense of smell. Apply these oils on potential entry points or use them as a spray around your property.
You cannot sweep up bat guano because of that disease-inhalation-risk, so this means that you must use a filter vacuum to make sure all traces of the guano has been removed.