Up to Date Facts About Bats and Rabies

Posted on October 24, 2022 by batremoval

Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight and have been present on Earth for over 50 million years. There are over 1,200 species of bats worldwide, making them one of the most diverse groups of mammals. While most people think of bats as being associated with dark places and spooky caves, they play an important role in many ecosystems.

Bats are important pollinators and help to disperse seeds, which helps to ensure the health of forests and other habitats. They are also a major food source for many predators, including owls, snakes, and some species of cats. In some cultures, bats are considered to be good luck symbols, while in others they are feared as omens of death.

Despite their beneficial role in nature, bats can also be carriers of disease. They are the natural reservoirs for a number of viruses, including rabies. While the risk of contracting rabies from a bat is low, it is still important to be aware of the potential dangers they pose.

In this blog, we will discuss more facts about the link between bats and the Rabies Virus, plus provide a bonus tip on how to safely get rid of bats if you are dealing with a nuisance critter problem in Indianapolis.

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What You Need to Know About Rabies

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the nervous system. It is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected animal but can also be transmitted through contact with saliva or other body fluids. The rabies virus attacks the brain, causing inflammation and ultimately death. Symptoms of rabies include fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, paralysis, and seizures. The disease is almost always fatal once symptoms begin to appear but can be prevented through prompt treatment with a rabies vaccine.

Bats are the most common source of rabies infections in humans, accounting for over 60% of reported cases. While the risk of contracting rabies from a bat is low, it is still important to take precautions when around them. If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, it is important to seek medical attention immediately and to begin the rabies vaccination process. Be sure to keep your pets vaccinated against Rabies as well.

Bat Removal and Control

Bats are often considered nuisance pests due to their habit of roosting in homes and other structures. Bats can enter through very small openings, making them difficult to keep out. In addition, their droppings can contain harmful bacteria that can contaminate food and surfaces. If you have a bat problem, it’s important to take steps to remove and control them.

There are a few different ways to remove bats from your home or other structure. You can have a bat exclusion device installed, which allows the bats to exit but not re-enter. You can also have any openings sealed up that the bats are using to get into your home. Once the bats are gone, any areas where they were roosting needs to be cleaned and sanitized to prevent the spread of disease.

If you have a bat problem, only trust a licensed and insured bat pest control professional for help extracting and managing them. Contact us at 317-257-2290 for professional and prompt Indianapolis IN bat removal services you can trust. We serve residential and commercial clients.

Does My Apartment Have Bats?

Posted on May 19, 2022 by batremoval

You hear and see all sorts of things when living in an apartment building. Some stuff might just spook the socks right off of you. If you suspect that you have bats in your apartment, it is important to do a quick assessment of your surroundings and determine if your dwelling shows signs of a bat infestation.

Continue reading to learn the most common signs of bats in the apartment, plus what to do if you discover your suspicions to be true.

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How to Tell of You Have Bats in Your Apartment

Whether one or a dozen, you do not want bats in your apartment. Not only are they known carriers of infectious diseases like Rabies and Leptospirosis, but they are also highly destructive to their surroundings. They can chew through electrical wires, destroy insulation, and soil everything in sight, including insulation, floorboards, drywall, and more. To top it all off, they can also carry and transmit a pest similar to bed bugs, called bat mites.

The best way to learn if you have bats in the apartment is to do a quick visual and audio assessment. Take a comprehensive walk around all areas of your dwelling and take note of anything that might resemble bat activity or presence. The most common signs of bats in the house include hearing distinct animal noises, smelling odd odors in localized spots, finding animal droppings, and seeing stains on the walls or ceilings.

Strange Noises

If bats are in your apartment, they are likely hiding within the wall voids, chimney, or attic areas. Of course, they could be other places too, but these are the most common spots. If there is more than one bat, they can usually be heard during peak activity hours. If you hear strange sounds like chattering, squeaking, shuffling, or chirping coming from within your home, it could very well be bats.

Strange Odors and Stains

Bats are not usually solitary, so infestations tend to get quite messy, quite fast. Bat droppings, both urine and guano, will accumulate and eventually seep through insulation, floorboards, drywall, and ceilings. Not only will this cause yellow or brown stains on your walls and ceiling, but it will also create lingering odors within the living areas of your apartment. So, as you walk through your apartment to take a quick assessment, keep your eyes and nose open for strange odors and mysterious stains.

Animal Droppings

Finding animal droppings is another common indication that you have a pest somewhere loose in your home. Bat guano looks very similar to rodent droppings, so it is often mistaken for a mouse or rat infestation. You can distinguish back guano from rodent droppings by focusing on where you find them. Bats like to perch on windowsills, door frames, and similar types of awnings. If you find animal droppings around the edges or on the ground below, it is a good indication that it came from a bat.

Did you just complete your assessment and now you strongly suspect that you have bats in the apartment? Contact Indianapolis Bat Removal at 317-535-4605 to schedule a critter control home inspection for bats or bat removal in Indianapolis, Indiana. We serve residential and commercial customers.

Did You Just Find a Bat in Your House?

Posted on April 29, 2022 by batremoval

Did you just find a bat, or many bats, on your property? If so, there are a few important considerations you need to process. First, you must never try to touch, trap, catch, harm, or kill a bat. Not only is this inhumane, but there are also state and federal laws in place to protect bats. If caught by authorities, you could face serious criminal and civil penalties.

So, if you ever find a bat, whether alive, dead, injured, or abandoned, you must have it removed by a licensed professional. But before contacting a critter control company for bat removal service in Indianapolis, help them out by identifying the following information for them.

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Where is the Bat?

If you find a bat on your roof or attic, this can be troublesome. Bats can cause extensive damage to the structural makeup of a building or home. There feeding and nesting creates a huge mess and odor and bacteria form as their secretions and droppings accumulate. This can be more costly to repair the longer you wait to call for help.

If the bat is somewhere on your surrounding property or yard, then it is not an emergency just yet. However, it is important to know that the bat can seek cover in your roof, attic, porch, and other cavities for shelter if an entry point is exposed. So, spotting a bat on your surrounding property is an opportunity to take preventative measures to prevent bat invasion from occurring in the future.

How Many Bats Are There?

The size of the bat colony is crucial to understanding the extent of repair and removal necessary to fix the problem. If you stumble across a large colony that have bred in your attic over the winter, then your situation is more serious than finding one bat on the roof. Having a professional bat control company inspect the interior and exterior of your property or home is a good way to determine what type of bat damages to expect.

How to Get Rid of Bats

There are few options when you come across a bat on your property. This is because it is a dangerous situation that requires proper equipment and knowledge to manage safely and effectively. Not only is proper equipment necessary, but experience and certifications are important as well. A professional Indianapolis bat control company will retain all of these qualifications, as well as all the proper permits, licenses, and insurance to carry out wildlife rescue and control jobs.

There are many methods and practices that are used to capture, trap, remove, and prevent bats in all places possible. Professional companies use state-of-the-art equipment such as hidden cameras, cages, cone traps, and seal-out methods to carry out these bat removal jobs. Cone traps and bat valves, for example, are a great tool to remove and prevent bats. The cone-shaped devices are placed in the holes the bats use to gain access. The unique shape allows the bats to leave when they want to find more food, but does not allow re-entry, which ensures that the bats all leave without a possibility of return.

Are you ready to defend your home against nuisance bat infestations and activity this year? Contact Indianapolis Bat Removal at 317-535-4605 to schedule a critter control home inspection for bats, or for emergency bat removal in Indianapolis, Indiana. We also offer free estimates!

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Nuisance Bat Control in 3 Steps or Less
The Fastest Way to Get Rid of Bats in the Home

What You Need to Know About Bed Bugs and Bat Mites

Posted on March 24, 2022 by batremoval

Millions of residential and commercial property owners deal with some form of bug infestation at some point in time. Whether its bees, wasps, mosquitos, ants, gnats, cockroaches, or fleas, many of us have been there before. However, of all of the pest outbreaks and infestations people encounter throughout a lifetime, bat mites are not a common one. But that is due to the fact that many property owners mistake a bat mite infestation for a bed bug infestation. As a result, property owners invest in bed bug fumigation and extermination services when they should be outsourcing bat removal services.

Continue reading to learn what you need to know about bed bugs and bat mites, including how to tell the difference between the two and how to get rid of bat mites if they are indeed the culprit.

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Bed Bugs Versus Bat Mites

Most people have heard stories of bed bug infestations, and many have even experienced it for themselves. The usual signs include itching, red bumps and bites, and actual minuscule bugs in your linens and bed sheets. To get rid of them, people have used exterminators, aerosol sprays, and insecticide treatments to kill and remove the “bed bug” problem. What some find, is that the infestation eventually comes back. This is most likely because they treatment administered wasn’t strong enough, or the infestation isn’t bed bugs at all, its bat mites.

Bat mites behave very similar to bed bugs. They are tiny parasitic insects that cling to a host and can live up to one year if the climate is agreeable. They live sustainably in dark and narrow areas, just like bats, which is why bats are their favorite hosts.

How to Exterminate Bat Mites

Standard extermination services are not enough for bat mites. An exterminator cannot simply spray, kill, and call it a day when it comes to bat mites. As long as their host remains, they remain and will continue to come back over and over again. No matter how many times the place is fumigated, sprayed, vaporized, or cleaned, the bat mites WILL NOT go away permanently until you get rid of the bats first.

Once the bat colonies are cleared from the area and proper preventative maintenance is implemented to ensure there will be no more future bat break-ins, you are on your way to a pest-free living space. This is when you can begin to properly clean and sanitize the area for bat mites.

Fortunately, there is a DNR licensed Central Indiana bat removal and control company that can provide all of these services in one affordable package deal. Contact us today at 317-535-4605 for professional attic inspections and bat removal service in Indianapolis, Indiana. We serve both residential and commercial clients.

Are Indiana Bats in Hibernation Right Now?

Posted on February 21, 2022 by batremoval

Are you wondering where all the Indiana bats are right now? Do they hibernate? Do they migrate South? Do you suspect that you might have hibernating bats in the attic? Continue reading to learn some interesting facts about hibernation and bats, plus what you can do if you suspect a colony has taken up roost in your attic or home space.

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Hibernation is a Natural Instinct of Survival

When the winter is upon us and nights are blistering cold, there is nothing more desirable than a soft, cozy bed to retire in for the evening. As for many warm-blooded animals out there, the same desire is shared; however, these critters are not just concerned about comfort, finding shelter from the harsh winter weather is also vital to their survival through the season. During these times, food is scarce, and conditions are treacherous; for this reason, many animals find alternative means of survival. One such method is referred to as “hibernation.”

Hibernacula and Torpor

Several familiar species use hibernation, also referred to as hibernacula, which is an instinctual strategy, to help them survive the harsh winter season. During hibernacula, torpor is induced while major metabolic changes take place for the purpose of survival, including a drop in body temperature and reduced heart and breathing rate.

Animals like groundhogs, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, bears, and even bats use hibernation to pass the winter by. (The word ‘hibernation” comes from the Latin word, hibernare which means “to pass the winter.”) Many animals hibernate, but bats in particular are the experts.

Indiana Bats Hibernate in the Winter

One of the most common hibernating species of bat is called the Indiana bat, or Myotis Sodalis. The first of its kind was discovered in 1904, in Wyandotte Cave in Southern Indiana, hence the name “Indiana” Bat. Their scientific name, Myotis Sodalis, is quite fitting since “Myotis” means “mouse ears”, which happens to be an accurate depiction of the Indiana bat whose ears are small and mouse-like. The latter term, “Sodalis” means “companion”, which also fits because they are a very social and collective species. They form large colonies and cluster together when it comes time to hibernate.

Why Do Bats Hibernate?

An interesting fact about a bat’s hibernacula is that they accumulate and store a particular type of fat cells called “brown fat” on their backs, shoulder blades, and bellies. This helps them retain proper body heat and energy to survive the hibernation period. Unfortunately, they are an endangered species, so their winter survival has a lot at stake. They usually hibernate for a period of 6 months, and then emerge once late spring arrives. They move to their summer homes, usually in wooded areas.

But sometimes, land and real estate over-development can push bats out of their natural habitats, forcing them to find shelter elsewhere. This is how most bats become a nuisance problem for homeowners. If you have a bat problem in or around your property, contact a licensed Indiana bat removal company that practices safe, humane, and non-lethal bat exclusion services.

Are you ready to confirm whether you have bats in the attic or need bat removal service? Contact us at 317-257-2290 for professional and prompt Indianapolis IN bat removal services you can trust. We serve residential and commercial clients.

Winter Bat House Installation and Placement Tips

Posted on November 26, 2021 by batremoval

Wintertime is almost here, which means that many local species of wildlife, like bats, are looking for suitable shelter to keep them safe and warm until spring season is here once again. One way home and property owners mitigate nuisance bat infestations and structural tampering this time of year is to provide bats a shelter far away from their home or building. These custom shelters are known as bat houses, and they can be extremely advantageous to both bats and property owners.

Continue reading to learn some helpful tips for adding a bat house to your property, including what to do if bats turn into a nuisance you can no longer control on your own.

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Bat House Facts and Advice

If you actually want to attract bats to your property, you are not alone. Bats play a vital role in our surrounding Eco-systems and provide excellent pest control for our backyards. Did you know a bat can consume an average of 1,200 insects in just one hour? In fact, they can consume their body weight in insects every single night! Now try finding a citronella candle that can eliminate that many mosquitos!

So, attracting bats to your property is a great advantage, so long as you have a large enough yard that is suitable for bat activity. One of the safest and most humane methods of attracting bats are the use of bat houses. These are similar to bird houses; except they are meant for a large quantity of upside down roosting bats.

How to Install Bat Houses

►THINK BIG

The first thing you should know about bat houses is that they should be big. Compared to a standard bird house, a bat house should be at least 3 times the size. That is because bats are not loners; they are always present in a colony. The suggested dimensions vary depending on various factors, but overall, it is important for them to be at least 20 inches tall, 16 inches wide, and retain a 3 to 6 inch landing area. Furthermore, you will get better results if you install more than one house. Bats respond better to houses of two or three grouped together.

► LOCATION IS KEY

Another important tip has to do with location. You do not want to install a bat house too close to your own because you can risk finding them inside your house instead of theirs. If this happens, simply contact a local wildlife rescue and control company for emergency bat removal service.

► PLACE IT FAR AWAY

Try installing your bat house at the perimeter of your property, preferably near a water source. If this is located near someone else’s property, it is not recommended. Otherwise, your neighbors could end up with bats in the house. Instead, mount them on sheds or large wooden or concrete structures. Avoid mounting them on poles, or worse, trees.

► CONSIDER YOUR PETS

If you have cats that like to wander around outdoors, you will not see a lot of bats on your property. If you want good results with your houses, keep your precious, four-legged friends indoors once the sun sets. Peak watching times may vary, but you will get the best views between the hours of sunset and complete darkness.

Are the bats in your community becoming too much of a nuisance and you need some professional assistance? Contact us at 317-257-2290 for professional and prompt Indianapolis IN bat removal services you can trust. We serve residential and commercial clients.

How to Exclude Bats in the Attic

Posted on June 21, 2021 by batremoval

Bats are unfortunately not solitary animals. So when it comes to having bats in the attic, there is hardly ever just one or two. In most cases of a bat infestation, there are handfuls of bats, and in serious cases, hundreds or more! They cause excessive damage with their urine, guano, and chewing habits. Everything from attic insulation and floorboards, to drywall, ceilings, and electrical wiring, become saturated by foul-smelling bat droppings. These are costly and time-consuming repairs that can be avoided with proper bat control and exclusion.

Continue reading to learn the general process for excluding bats in the attic, and who to trust for emergency Indianapolis bat removal at an affordable price.

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Do-It-Yourself Bat Abatement

Excluding bats means to keep them away from your property. The first step of bat control is something you can do on your own without a professional. Simply remove any outdoor attractions that bats enjoy. This includes water sources like bird baths and pet bowls. It may also include trimming thick bushes and trees that provide bats safety from birds of prey.

Professional Bat Removal and Control Service

Once you have done your duty as a homeowner to prevent attracting bats to your property, it is time to pass the baton onto a licensed wildlife control expert. They will start by inspecting the exterior of your home for openings, vulnerabilities, and possible entry points for bats. This inspection will show the bat control contractor where bats may have entered, or could possibly enter in the future.

It helps to know which species of bat is most problematic in your area, since the species will affect the process of bat exclusion. A bat control contractor will already know this information if you do not. Bats can fit through openings as small as a half of an inch. These are the types of openings and gaps professional contractors will look for.

Once found, they will recommend solutions for any exterior vulnerabilities, or provide an estimate for them to do it themselves. Not all bat control companies offer restoration or bat control services. Many are simply bat removal specialists. Be sure to choose a licensed company that has the resources to meet your wildlife control needs.

Are you ready to get rid of bats in the attic? Contact us at 317-257-2290 for certified Indianapolis Indiana bat removal services at an affordable price. We also provide attic cleanup and restoration for bat damages.

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Why are Bats Dangerous?
The 3 Species of Nuisance Bat in Indiana
Here’s Why You Have a Bat Problem on Your Property

Studies Suggest That Bats Have a Favorite Food

Posted on April 14, 2021 by batremoval

Bats are divided into two suborders of Chiroptera, Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera. Each suborder has their own set of attributes, qualities, and characteristics. Megabats dine on the delicious nectar, juices, flowers, and pollen of fruit, which is why they are colloquially known as fruit bats. Whereas Microbats tend to stick with a wide range of small to medium-sized insects. Since we can probably agree that fruit is sweet and filling, most people can understand what tastes good to a fruit bat.

But what about microbats? Do insects all taste alike, or are there insects that taste better? Well luckily, researchers at both the United Kingdom’s University of Bristol and the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario Canada really wanted to know what Microbats like to eat the most. So, they decided to do a study to find out their favorite meals! Continue reading to learn what they discovered and how.

Indianapolis Bat Removal and Control — Bats Love to Eat Thousands of Mosquitos Every Night!

Bat Guano Studies

Over a course of four months, between May and August of 2010, researchers visited three separate roosts of Myotis lucifugus, and using non-invasive methods collected bat guano (droppings) samples. Known as little brown bats, Myotis lucifugus are a common species of microbat currently being threatened by a deadly fungal disease called White-Nose Syndrome. This fungus looks like a white powder that covers their nose and face. It disrupts hibernation, causing bats to exert their energy reserves and die.

Researchers wanted to learn about the surrounding environment, so they started by extracting the DNA of insects that were found in the bat guano samples. Then they identified the small regions where the insect DNA was extracted, and matched that data to the databases of known insect DNA. This gave them the exact species of insect that bats were eating. And here’s what they found!

Their studies implied that bats prefer to eat insects that live near bodies of water, such as rivers, creeks, streams, and ponds. From the research, they also concluded that little brown bats are “locavores”, meaning they travel only a few hundred meters from home each night to hunt for food. Also, their diet changes with the seasons, and the type of prey available to them.

Dealing With Nuisance Bats?

Bats, although fascinating to learn about, can also be a pest to many property owners. They can enter homes and buildings, build nests, create huge unsanitary messes, and cause costly damages. If you are having bat problems, contact a trusted wildlife control company for non-lethal bat removal services.

Do you need to get rid of bats in or around your property? Contact us today at 317-535-4605for professional Indianapolis Indiana bat removal services you can afford. We are DNR licensed and insured, and serve both residential and commercial clients. Request a free estimate or advice, anytime.

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Common Uses for Bat Guano

Posted on February 16, 2021 by batremoval

It might be too early to talk about Spring, but it is never a wrong time to talk about gardening!

Bat excrement is known as guano. Do you recall that scene in Pet Detective 2 when actor Jim Carey fervently licks his dinner bowl after a delicious meal made by the native tribe, then grimaces in shock soon after when he learns it is made from bat guano? Well, you just might be surprised to learn that guano really is used agriculturally all over the world. Just as we use livestock manure for fertilizer, bat guano is equally effective for the job. In fact, bat guano is a common and popular resource used by veteran gardeners and farmers right here in Indiana!

Continue reading to learn some more about bat guano, including where to get some for your growing garden, and what to do if you spot bat guano around your property.

Benefits of Bat Droppings

Bat guano is a popular fertilizer because it is fast-acting, extremely effective, and virtually odorless. Gardeners can mix it into their soil beds prior to planting their crops, or even during their active growth periods. It conditions the soil, leaving it enriched with vital nutrients and improving soil aeration and water drainage. Bat fertilizer enhancer delivers greener, lusher lawns and gardens all season long. If you wish to give it a try, simply visit your local home improvement store’s garden section for a wide selection of lawn care products, including fertilizers, additives, composters, fungicides, and more.

Additional Uses for Guano

Bat guano is not just an effective fertilizer, it is also a natural fungicide, which means it can be used to control nuisance roundworms (and other nematodes) in the soil. In additional to fertilizer and fungicide, it is also an excellent compost activator and accelerator because it speeds up decomposition. Using bat guano is easy, and you even have a couple different application options. You can sprinkle the fertilizer directly on top of the soil, work it into the soil directly, or make it into a water-based solution known as “bat tea” and incorporate it into your watering routine.

Watch Out for Nuisance Bats

Although bat guano makes an excellent lawn care product, it does not make a great addition to your home. If you spot guano accumulations around your property, be sure to implement proper bat control techniques to prevent costly infestations like bats in the attic. The longer bats live inside your house, the more damages they will cause, and the more repairs bills you’ll have to pay. Bat infestations can also pose several dangerous health risks to both people and pets, making emergency Indianapolis bat removal quite necessary.

24 Hour Bat Removal and Control Services in Indianapolis, Indiana

Call 317-535-4605 for professional Indianapolis bat removal services you can trust. We are DNR licensed wildlife rescue and control professionals who specialize in a wide range of residential and commercial bat abatement services. We only use safe and humane methods to extract bats and prevent their return, and offer the most competitive prices in town. Request a free estimate, today.

Can Bats See When They Fly?

Posted on January 21, 2021 by batremoval

Many people incorrectly assume that bats are blind. The truth is, no species of bat is naturally blind. In fact, most bats have pretty good vision. However, some bats rely on other senses more than they do their eyesight to navigate during flight. If you just learned something new about bats, you will be interested in what comes next. Continue reading to learn more about bats and how they see!

All Bats are a Nocturnal Species

Both primary categories of bats, Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera, are nocturnal. This means they are active between dusk and dawn, and rest between dawn and dusk. Although it is dark outside when they are active, both bats can still see. They can even see well during the day. They are sensitive to daylight changes, however, which is how they sense it is time to start or stop their day.

Echolocation and Other Senses

Because bats are active at night, many people wrongly assume that bats can’t see at night, so they only use echolocation (a natural sonar practice using series of tongue clicks) to navigate around. Although Microchiroptera bats use echolocation, it is not their only means of vision. They use echolocation to hunt for prey and navigate during flight, but they can also see quite well. In fact, they rely more on their vision to see long distances since these distances are beyond the range of echolocation. Megachiroptera bats, on the other hand, do not use sonar at all, and only rely on their eyesight, hearing, and smell to get around.

Bats are Not Blind

So, in conclusion, bats are not blind after all. Microchiroptera bats have sufficiently-developed photo-receptor cells in their retinas (cones and rods), which allow them to see well during the day and the night. Also, Megachiroptera bats have large eyes and well-pronounced visual centers that allow them to see well. Both species of bat use all their senses to navigate around, just like humans. But some species rely on senses more than others.

Indianapolis Indiana Bat Removal and Control You Can Afford

Call 317-535-4605 for affordable Indianapolis bat removal services, solutions, advice, and more. We are highly-trained and DNR licensed bat removal contractors that offer a wide range of non-lethal bat exclusion and extraction services for residential and commercial properties. We also offer bat infestation cleanup and repair, as well as bat-proofing services and insurance claim work. Call 317-535-4605 for Indianapolis bat removal you can trust.