Bat Identification & Prevention

There are around 40 different species of bats living throughout the United States. What all bats have in common is that they are the only true flying mammal living in the U.S. and worldwide.

Bats can weigh a few ounces to a few pounds, their bodies have light brown to black fur, and their large ears sit at the top of their heads and provide them with excellent hearing. 

The bat's most unique feature is its wings. Bats have four limbs—two legs and two arms with the same bone structure as the human hand. A leathery membrane covers their arm bones and "fingers" and creates the wings they use to take flight.

Out in nature, bats play an important role; their feeding habits help control insect populations. Without bats and other critters that feed on insects, our outdoor spaces would be inundated with insects. Bats also help with the pollination of plants and trees.

However helpful bats are, they are a threat when they decide to live near people in our yards or homes. Bats are wild animals, so you should never willingly share your space with them or try to handle or remove these pests on your own.

Bats carry and spread pathogens through their saliva and feces that can cause serious health problems in people. Bats are carriers of rabies, a virus that attacks the nervous system and is lethal if you don't seek treatment. In their fur, they also carry parasites like bat bugs, ticks, and fleas that they will introduce into our homes and yards.

As if the above things weren't enough, bat feces can contain a fungus called Histoplasma capsulatum which can cause lung disease in people.

Our outdoor spaces offer bats plenty of places to roost and hunt insects and water sources like clogged gutters, pools, low-lying areas, and containers that collect rainwater. Yards with many trees, gardens, grassy areas, and areas of standing water will attract the attention of insects and bats that want to eat those insects.

If bats have found their way to your Rochester home, you may notice one or more of the following signs:

• Seeing bats flying around your home when they are most active at dawn or dusk
• Hearing noises in your home's attic or its wall voids
• Noticing a robust ammonia-like odor within your house

At your first concern that bats are living in your yard or home, reach out for help from a bat control expert. For bat control near you, contact the wildlife experts at RodentX Wildlife Control.

You are most likely to notice bat activity on your property at dusk. That is the time of day when the insects they like to eat are most active. They emerge from their roosting spots to hunt. When spending time outside in the evening, if bats are around, you will likely spot them swooping around, hunting their insect prey.

Properties with or near wooded areas, fields, pools, or ponds are most likely to experience problems with these pests. Our Rochester homes, garages, and sheds offer bats dry, dark, safe roosting spots. Inside structures, roof eaves, beams, wall voids, crawl spaces, attics, and vents are where we regularly find bats and their unsanitary excrement buildup.

For professional bat control in Rochester, New York, partner with us at RodentX Wildlife Control. With over ten years of experience, you can count on us to provide you with effective bat control that swiftly takes care of your property's bat problems. Through our quality prevention, elimination, repair, and removal services, you can be sure that your home will become and remain free of bats. Please reach out today to learn more about our bat control solutions or other wildlife control options.

To help you avoid bats from wanting to call your Rochester, NY property home in the future, implement the following prevention tips:

• Place mesh screens or other appropriate covers over chimneys, vents, and other openings leading into your home. 
• Use caulk or another material to seal cracks or gaps in your roof, around windows and doors, and exterior walls.
• Repair loose or torn screens.
• Place garden areas away from the perimeter of your home.
• Remove as much standing water away from your property as possible. 
• Keep outdoor lights off whenever they aren't needed. Outdoor lights attract insects to your home's exterior, which in turn will attract bats to your house. 
• Place bat houses at the perimeter of your property to offer bats a place to roost away from your home.

For more information about wildlife control in Rochester, please call RodentX Wildlife Control today.