|
| |
ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BATS
|
By Raymond R. Saucier, of Critter Control
Before you get upset about the bats in your home, open your mind to the following facts: bats are the only flying mammal in the world and are very beneficial. They can eat over 500 flying insects per hour all night long. We have over 400 species of bats in the U. S. and there's not a vampire among them!
Bats need a safe place to roost in the daytime and much of their natural habitat is dwindling. While they do get into homes, there is a safe, effective and responsible way to deal with them. |
 |
HAZARDS:
Like other mammals, a very small percentage of bats contract rabies. Exposure to the rabies virus is remote if contact with bats is avoided and pets are properly vaccinated.
Bat droppings can contain airborne disease and the bats themselves are hosts to ectoparasites. Trained people with the proper safety equipment are who should handle the handling of bats and the cleanup of guano.
DAMAGE:
Humans object to the bat's noise (squeaking, scratching, crawling in attics and walls), stains, and odors caused by urine and droppings. Most bat complaints occur in July and August. This is the time when the young bats are learning to fly, sometimes finding themselves in the living space of a home. Bats can squeeze through holes 3/8" wide. This has the homeowner wondering how the bats got in.
BIOLOGY AND HABITS OF HOUSE BATS:
Bats are nocturnal and have a 6-12" wingspan. They are insectivores, and some species eat up to half their body weight each night in flying insects. Bats usually breed in fall or winter. Pregnant females give birth between April and July. There are usually 1-2 bats that begin flying at 3-5 weeks.
Little brown bats commonly invade structures in the spring and summer while big brown bats use buildings year round for raising young and hibernation.
CONTROL:
The first step of any real wildlife management program should be a complete home inspection. This is the only way to find out what is living in your home and to identify any animal entry points in the entire house. All entry points must be identified to do an "eviction" and any "exclusion."
The preferred method is with a one-way door system called a "bat check valve." The bats are allowed to escape, but they do not know how to get back in. You must implement control before May or after August to prevent the killing of young bats. Bats are a federally protected species.
With any responsible bat removal program, it is important to do a thorough job of "bat-proofing" the structure. Exclusion is the number one priority in bat management. Thorough elimination of all holes larger than ¼" is needed at all potential openings, especially on the top half of the building. Opening the doors/windows can often let out individual bats that get into the living space of a house.
TOXICANTS:
Poisoning bats is illegal and usually leads to an increased number of contacts with people and pets in the vicinity.
MANAGEMENT:
Bats, despite their obvious value, are unjustifiably persecuted. Public education on bat conservation and responsible control methods are needed. This is why we also offer the installation of bat houses when we do an eviction. This helps keep the bats around when they cannot find a way back into your home. For further information on bats, call Bat Conservation International at (512) 327-9721. We recommend reading "America's Neighborhood Bats" by Dr. Merlin Tuttle for information on how to live in harmony with these winged creatures.
Note: Ray Saucier, a new advertiser to the TLIA Newsletter, was kind enough to submit this article. He owns Critter Control, a firm in the Portland area which concentrates on the humane removal/prevention of "critters."
|
|
