During the past few weeks, I have noticed quite a few bats flying around my neighborhood during the late afternoon. I have probably been more observant of these bats because of the large number of phone calls I have received from homeowners recently about bats in their houses. I guess I am wondering what I would do if I found bats in my house.

Bats in houses is not unusual, because bats are very common in this area during the summer, and relatively large numbers of bats can be found throughout the county. Attics and chimneys make very attractive nesting and roosting places for bats.

Some people may consider bats a pest, but in fact, they are very beneficial. Bats consume tremendous numbers of insects each night, far more than purple martins or any other insect-feeding bird. A single bat can consume between 3,000 and 7,000 mosquitoes in one night, so it is easy to see that large colonies of bats can consume thousands of tons of mosquitoes each year.

Bats are the only mammals that can fly. Other mammals, such as flying squirrels, only glide. The wings of bats are like hands with skin stretched between modified fingers. Bats are more closely related to primates, but many people think they are more like rodents. They have very slow reproductive rates with typically only one young per year, and like other mammals, they nurse their young.

So if bats are so beneficial, we should be providing nesting sites for them to encourage them to stay around our home and yard instead of trying to get rid of them. I have several bulletins available about bats, and most of these bulletins include plans for bat houses. If you would like to construct a bat house or if you simply want more information about bats, please give me a call at 671-3276.

But if you are one of those unfortunate ones who has found bats inside your house or if you know bats are in your attic and the odor from their droppings or their noise is a nuisance, you might not care how many mosquitoes they can catch. You simply want to get rid of them.

This late in the summer may not be the best time of the year to try to get rid of bats. They have already become well established in the place they have decided to live, and if they still have young, they are going to be even more reluctant to relocate. Since most bats migrate for the winter, the best time to start control measures is before they return in the spring, especially if you have experienced bat problems during past years.

The best way to keep bats out of an attic or chimney is to make sure all possible entrance sites are eliminated. Chimney covers, available at any good hardware store, should be placed over the chimney flue. All holes, cracks, and crevices into attics should be repaired or covered over with quarter-inch screen wire, steel wool, caulking, or other durable material.

If bats are already in an attic, several tactics can be used to repel them. When started early in the season or late in the fall, these practices usually work pretty well, but scare tactics are not always completely effective.

If you have immature bats in your attic or chimney, it is going to be very hard to convenience the mother to leave. In fact, it may not be wise to bat-proof your home when young are present, since they will surely die. Objectionable odors from decay will probably be more offensive than the bats.

Mothballs are fairly effective repellents for most mammals, including bats. Place a handful of mothballs in a small bag and suspend 8-12 of these bags around the attic. Suitable bags can easily be constructed by cutting the legs off old panty hose. Efforts should be made to suspend most of these bags near the site where the bats are entering the attic.

Since bats seek out dark, secluded areas for nesting, they can often be encouraged to relocate by placing floodlights in the attic. If this tactic is used, special efforts should be made to ensure the lights do not come in contact with rafters or other material in the attic. These lights can become very hot and can create a fire hazard if improperly positioned.

Another tactic to repel bats is to place a large fan in the attic. Bats cannot tolerate strong breezes and drafts and will often relocate for a more suitable site. Fans, floodlights, and mothballs may all be used at the same time for better results.

Trapping is allowed, but this practice is usually not very effective and is very time consuming and frustrating. When trapped, bats must be relocated a far distance away or they will simply return to your attic. Since they are mammals, there are no chemicals or toxic treatments approved for the control of bats.

Most people fear bats because of the concern about rabies. Actually, the incidence of rabies in the wild bat populations is extremely low. The few bites reported each year from bats usually result from people trying to capture the bat or from a bat that is trying to find its way out of a dwelling. However, anyone bitten by a bat should seek medical attention immediately. If possible, the bat should be killed and taken to the doctor for the remote chance it may be rabid.

If you would like more information about bats or other critters that may invade your home, please give me a call at 671-3276.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 8/6/08