How to Look for Bats in the Attic

Discovering bats in the attic is never a good thing. But it is easier to manage when the discovery happens early on. One way to ensure you catch a bat infestation in your Indiana home before it can get out of control is to learn the common signs that indicate bats are present. Continue reading to learn what you should be looking for if you suspect bat intrusion.

Indianapolis Bat Removal and Control
Indianapolis Bat Removal and Control 317-535-4605

Threats Posed By Bats

It is important to get rid of bats as soon as possible for many reasons. Bats are known carriers of several infectious and transmissible diseases. This includes Rabies, lice, and bat mites. Furthermore, their urine and feces (guano) are highly toxic. The accumulation of bat droppings can create unsanitary and unsafe living conditions, as well as, pose the risk of respiratory illness in occupants and pets.

Another reason to get rid of bats in the attic is due to the fact that they are highly destructive, and their droppings play a big part in their destructive nature. Everything around them can become soiled and saturated, including roof underlayment, attic insulation, floorboards, drywall, and more. Overtime, their droppings can even leak into living areas of the home and leave unsightly stains on walls and ceilings.

Signs of a Bat Infestation

The most evidentiary sign that bats may be entering your home or attic is actually seeing them fly around at dusk or dawn. Visibly spotting bats is enough evidence to tell you that your home could be at risk of a bat infestation. If this is the case, it is recommended to have your home inspected on an annual basis to ensure your property is free from nuisance wildlife infestations and damage.

Another common sign of a nuisance bat problem is the presence of bat droppings, also known as guano. Their droppings generally mass-accumulate around their entry and exit points. Look for bat guano in the attic, as well as, around window sills, doors, roof edges, gutters, decks, and patios.

If you can’t find any guano, keep in mind that detecting strange or foul odors may be an indication of bat droppings. This is another common sign of a bat infestation. Things like nesting, grooming, and droppings can quickly produce a smell that is both toxic and unpleasant. These odors can make their way into living areas of a home, and linger until the bat infestation and damage are resolved.

Hearing strange sounds in the walls, attic, or other sheltered area of your home is a tell-tale sign that something is living where it should not be living. If it’s not birds, it is likely bats. You can hear bats chirping, squeaking, tweeting, and flapping inside chimneys, walls, and more. You are more likely to hear these bat noises at night since they are nocturnal mammals.

How to Get Rid of Bats in the Attic

As soon as you suspect that bats are living in your attic, your first and only step is to contact an bat removal and control specialist in Indianapolis for emergency bat removal services. They have the resources to effectively remove bats without harming them or your property in any way, as well as, implement strategies to prevent bats from returning. Some companies may even be able to provide home owners’ insurance claim work to repair bat damages.

Indianapolis Bat Removal and Control

Call 317-535-4605 for safe and humane bat removal and control in Indianapolis. Our licensed bat removal specialists offer a wide range of residential and commercial bat extraction and exclusion services at the most competitive prices around. We only use safe, eco-friendly techniques and humane methods of bat abatement, including relocated captured bats to a faraway, safe habitat. We also offer 24 hour emergency service, free estimates, free advice, and more! Call 317-535-4605 to request a free estimate, today.

Indiana Bat Removal 317-535-4605
Indiana Bat Removal 317-535-4605

Interesting Facts About the Vampire Bat

One of the most interesting facts about bats is that they are the only mammal capable of true flight. No other mammal can fly with the power, ease, and agility of a bat. But the Common Vampire bat stands out from the rest of its fellow species with its own distinctive trait: they are the only bats whose diets consist solely of blood. And the interesting facts do not stop there! Continue reading to learn even more about the Common Vampire bat, including behavior, habitat, diet, and more!

Bat Removal and Control 317-535-4605

Bat Removal and Control 317-535-4605

Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)

Diet

The Common Vampire bat feeds solely on the blood of other mammals. But do not worry, they do not consume the blood of humans, nor do they suck a living creature dry by the time they are done with their meal. These are just popular misconceptions that stem from horror films and tall tales. Instead, vampire bats feed mostly on livestock or cattle, such as pigs, cows, and horses. It is a somewhat cooperative relationship between them and their host, who doesn’t seem to mind all that much.

The vampire bat makes a small bite in their flesh, usually in the neck or rump, and slurps up the slow flow for a few minutes. They use echolocation and olfaction to locate food, heat sensors in their noses that help detect blood vessels close to the skins surface, and anticoagulants in their saliva that prevents the blood from clotting while they feed.

Habitat

The Common Vampire bat is found in several regions all across the world, including Central America, Mexico, South America, and regions near the United States-Mexico borders. Fossils have even been discovered in Florida! In terms of habitat, they prefer tropical regions where climates stay humid and warm most of the year. They generally forage in open grasslands or subtropical woodlands, but roost in trees, caves, and more.

Physical Traits

The Common Vampire bat is a small bat. Adult are generally no larger than 3 ½ inches, and weigh no more than 2 ounces. Their wingspans, on the other hand, can reach up to 7 inches. They have a small head, a leaf-shaped nose, and their bodies are covered in a short, silver-grayish fur. On each wing, they have a clawed thumb that allows them to grasp onto their prey and take off in flight. One special fact about Vampire bats is that they have the fewest teeth out of all the other bat species, but they are razor sharp. It helps them make their feeding incisions on their prey.

Indianapolis Bat Control

Call 317-535-4605 if you are experiencing bat problems in Indianapolis, Indiana. We are DNR licensed and provide a wide range of 24 hour commercial and residential bat removal and control services. Whether you have just one bat in the attic, or an entire colony wreaking havoc on your roof, we are the professionals to call for safe and non-lethal Indianapolis bat control. Call 317-535-4605 to request a free estimate, anytime.

3 Common Damages Caused by Bat Infestation

North American bats are very prevalent tenants in nature. Bats are nocturnal mammals that eat thousands of insects on a nightly basis. They are helpful creatures in this way, limiting the amount of mosquitoes feeding on us at our summer barbeques; however, there is a darker side to bats that live near residential areas. Bats like to seek shelter in warm dark places, and with new construction popping up everywhere, their natural habitats are being overcome by buildings and neighborhoods. Rather than finding shelter in more remote areas, bats will look to our properties for shelter. This behavior can cause problems regarding the well-being of our homes and indoor environments. Read on to learn more about the three common damages bats can cause when residing within our homes and buildings.

Bat Mites

Bat mites are microscopic insects that are commonly mistaken for bed bugs. They like to use bats and humans as their host. People will have a pest control company treat their home for bed bugs, only to discover that the problem persists well after the treatment is through. This is because it is not bed bugs that are irritating the homeowner, it is bat mites. Because bats will live inside walls, attics, crawl spaces, and rooftops, their mites will continue to come back because the source of the issue was not solved. In order to get rid of bat mites, you have to get rid of bats first.

Diseases

Bats are stereotyped as the main source of rabies in America. The truth is, ANY animal can contract rabies and pass it on to humans and other animals. Even though bats are always wrongly associated with rabies, doesn’t mean that they cannot have the disease, as well as others, that can be contagious or dangerous for humans. Along with rabies, bat dropping, or guano, can release spores for Histoplasmosis, which if inhaled, can cause damage to our lungs.

Structural Repairs

Bats are not chewers or biters. They will not claw your dry wall or chew through electrical wiring like raccoons can. Instead, their colonies defecate and urinate all over the area they inhabit. The accumulation of all their droppings will cause serious structural damage to the space they live in, and the spaces surrounding it. The droppings can seep into walls and begin to leak through ceilings. This can soil and destroy attic insulation, dry wall, and more. Also, the odor from the droppings will eventually seep into the living or working space of the property, causing discomfort and embarrassment to the property owners.

Indianapolis Bat Removal and Control

Call Wildlife Rescue and Control at 317-535-4605 to get rid of bats in Indianapolis, Indiana. We are DNR licensed bat removal specialists with decades of experience in the wildlife control industry. We offer a wide range of bat removal and control services, including 24 hour emergency service, free estimates, advice, and answers to bat related questions! Call us at 317-535-4605 for Indianapolis bat removal and control services in Indianapolis, IN today.