Bat Identification
More than 1,400 species of bats exist worldwide, although only about 40 are found in the United States, with even fewer species commonly found throughout New England. Fun Fact: Bats are the only mammals that fly.
- Family: Bats belong to the Chiroptera family. In Greek, the name Chiroptera translates to “hand wing,” which refers to bats’ unique wing structure.
- Size: Bats’ size varies, depending on the species, and typically ranges from 2 to 3 inches from nose to tail with a wingspan of 10 inches. Adults can weigh as little as less than 1 ounce to more than 3 pounds.
- Color: Bats commonly have dark brown to golden brown fur, and they possess a membrane that is positioned between their wings and legs. This membrane is generally hairless and dark brown or black in color.
- Legs: Bats have four limbs in total, including two hind legs and two arms. Their wings are made of a double membrane that stretches across their arms and fingers. Most people recognize bats when they are flying because of the distinct shape of their wingspan.
Types of Bats
Signs of Bats
Bats are active between sunset and sunrise, so it’s not common to spot them flying around inside a house, even in the attic. However, knowing what to look for can help identify their presence in attics and other spaces sooner rather than later.
Bats Flying Outdoors
Having bats on your property does not necessarily mean that you could have bats inside. In truth, having bats living outdoors can be helpful for controlling the population of harmful pests like mosquitoes. Fun fact: bats can eat up to half of their weight in mosquitoes each night. However, if you know you have bats outdoors, it can alert you to their possible presence indoors when you start seeing other signs. Things to look for include the following:
Excrement
Bat feces, known as guano, look a lot like rodent droppings with a speckled appearance. You may notice it in piles near where bats enter and exit the building — indoors or outside. Their droppings are most commonly found in attics on top of the flooring or insulation. Also, their droppings look like mouse droppings, but are more segmented and “crush” into almost a powder. One of the only droppings that does this. This is because their diet consists of insects and their droppings are insect particles You might also notice white streaks on windows from bat urine.
Smears and Stains
As bats come and go, their fur can leave streaks and stains on entry points. If you notice stains, grease, or dirt around cracks, crevices, and other openings, you may have bats.
Odd Noises
Do you hear scratching and other funny noises at night or in the early morning hours? Bats can make various sounds, including scratching, chirping, and squeaking, usually a little before sunset and sunrise.
Unpleasant Smells
The presence of bats can create a musty aroma that may also smell like ammonia, which can be caused by the animals and their urine. The larger the colony, the more pronounced the odor.
How Do I Get Rid Of Bats?
We know you don’t want bats inside your home, but these mammals are important to our environment. A single bat eats hundreds of insects every night, including pesky bugs like mosquitoes. That’s why bat removal is a delicate process. A few tips to consider include the following:
- Implement deterrents: Bats prefer dark spaces. Adding bright lights or installing ultrasonic devices can deter them from roosting inside your property.
- Use natural repellents: Add strongly scented essential oils like eucalyptus or peppermint or mothballs to possible entry and exit points.
- Call for professional help: Bats are protected by state and federal regulations that dictate how and when you can remove bats from your property.
Bat Facts
Lifespan
In the wild, bats typically live up to 20 years. Researchers have found six bat species that live 30 years or longer, and in 2006, a bat living in Siberia broke the record with a lifespan of 41 years.
Food Sources
Bats eat a varied diet, including flower nectar, fish, and small mammals. They also eat insects, including mosquitoes. Just one little brown bat can catch and consume up to 600 mosquitoes or more in a single hour.
In fact, they can eat almost half their weight in insects every night. Bats use echolocation by bouncing the sounds they make off of objects. Echolocation helps them find food and keeps them from colliding into other bats.
Reproduction
Most species have one pup, although scientists have identified one (the eastern red bat) that can have two to four pups per litter. Baby bats may weigh up to one-quarter of the mother’s weight and will nurse for the first few weeks of their lives.
Risk of Disease
Bats can carry rabies, a deadly disease that causes inflammation and affects the nervous system, including the brain. Rabies can cause flu-like symptoms that lead to confusion, hallucinations, muscle spasms, and seizures if left untreated. Bat droppings can contain fungal spores that cause histoplasmosis, a respiratory disease. Additionally, their droppings can entice other bats and pests to infest the area. Also, bat colonies can be prone to bat bugs, an insect that looks and acts very similar to bed bugs. Occasionally, bat bugs will feed on human blood when away from their host bat colony.
Where Are Bats Found?
Bats live in almost every environment, except extreme Arctic and desert regions. Some bats hibernate while others migrate to warmer places during the winter months.
Bats look for warm, safe places to rest during the day, hibernate in the winter, and raise their young in the spring and summer. Sometimes this might end up being inside a house’s crawl spaces, whether it’s in the attic, behind the walls, or between the shutters and the exterior of your home.
When Are Bats Active?
Bats are nocturnal and forage for food at night. In this region, bats typically emerge from hibernation in mid-April through the end of May and begin having pups by June. Although the pups are reliant on their mothers and other females in the colony for the first few weeks, they are typically ready to fly and begin leaving the nest by August.
More Information About Bats
When Are Bats Active During the Year?
The Surprising Menu of Bats: What Do Bats Eat?
How to Prevent Bats in Your House
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get rid of a bat in the house?
Due to state and federal regulations and safety concerns, we strongly discourage you from trying to solve a bat problem yourselves. Without training and licensing, homeowners could risk killing bats, pushing them into the living space, contact with live bats, or exposure to their droppings. Also, bats often access high areas of the structure which could be dangerous to access without the proper training.
How much does bat removal cost?
Bat removal cost can vary and is a combination of fees to seal up the structure as well as to evict the bats and clean up the droppings or damage.
Do bats bite?
Bats have extremely tiny, sharp teeth and rarely bite humans. They are so small that in many cases people don’t even notice when they are bitten.
How do I get rid of bats in my attic?
Bats can be extremely challenging to remove from your attic, which is why calling for professional help is essential. Because bats help keep your yard bug-free, they are beneficial when they are outside where they belong munching on mosquitoes. The best approach is to exclude the bats from ever entering your home, which protects you from the hazardous waste they produce and protects the bats from harm.
Can you get rabies from bat feces?
No. Rabies can be transmitted after handling an infected bat and getting a bite or scratch. Bat feces can transmit other pathogens, such as the fungal spores that cause the respiratory disease histoplasmosis.
