Bat Control – Why You Don’t Wants Bats in Your Attic

There are few creatures that come with a mythology quite as striking as the bat. Even in countries, like the UK, where they are completely harmless, bats are often viewed with fear. They’re the suckers of blood and the spreaders of disease. They dive-bomb your head and get tangled in your hair. Oh lordy, won’t someone preserve us?

When in actual fact, bats are kind of shy, retiring creatures. And they do an incredible job for the ecosystem – us humans in particular – by eating the irritating flying insects in the vicinity, some of which really do carry diseases, such as mosquitoes. So, yeah, bats really aren’t the scary enemy they’re often made out to be… But that doesn’t mean that you want them as houseguests either!

Why bats are bad news for your home

The first thing most people think about with bats is the diseases they potentially carry. And that can be a valid concern, because US bats can carry rabies and viruses related to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), among other things. BUT, unless you’re planning on handling them – in which case you’ll probably need a license – you’re unlikely to come into physical contact with them. Your main concern is the damage they can do to your home. And bats can cause quite some damage.

From chewing walls and eating insulation, to destroying wiring, bats are as destructive as any other uninvited mammal that finds its way into your home. But added to that is their guano. Not only does the guano make a horrendous mess, it smells pretty outrageous too. And it carries histoplasma capsulatam, a microscopic airborne fungus, which can cause acute or chronic lung disease in a small number of cases.

So, in short, you don’t want bats in your home if you can help it. But their removal is not something that you can handle yourself.

How to deal with a bat infestation

Bat removal is one of the more complicated areas we deal with at Noosa Pest Management. Not only because they are protected, but as responsible pest control agents, we never want to harm the wildlife we’re removing. And bats are sensitive creatures. They’re also surprisingly wily.

So, while each case is different, we usually follow this process when dealing with any bat infestation:

1. Identify the species in order to decide the best course of action.
2. Check for pups. It is illegal to remove bats while there are babies present in the colony. It can also lead to further complications if the adults are removed and the pups are left behind.
3. Work out where the bats are getting in and seal all the entry points.
4. Carefully and respectfully remove the whole colony.
5. Clear up the mess the bats have left behind.

You must have a license in order to do this. And because of the diseases that bats can potentially carry, it’s essential to wear adequate personal protective equipment while doing so. Otherwise you could be dealing with a whole lot more than just a criminal record.

We like bats at Noosa Pest. They’re pretty amazing creatures. And if you look at them close-up, they’re really kind of cute. But we know the damage they can do and wouldn’t want them living in our attics. That’s why we take so much care to do a thorough job when we’re working to remove them from yours.

If you have bats in your attic – or anywhere else – contact the Noosa Pest Management team today to see how we can help.