Tag Archives: bat control Indianapolis

Will Bats Eat My Flowers and Gardens?

Posted on by

With large bat populations native to our state, Hoosiers are naturally concerned about the well-being and safety of their property. Bats are known as nuisance wildlife capable of causing serious structural damage and pose certain health and safety risks. So, although bats are very important parts of our ecosystem and local economies, we do not want them tampering with our homes and edifices. Now that spring is right around the corner, many homeowners are preparing their garden and landscaping plans. But will nuisance bats destroy these yields once they bloom next season? That is not something you will likely have to be concerned about. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that local bats actually support and assist the quality of your gardens and flowers.

Continue reading to learn what bats eat and how they can help your garden grow.

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

A Bat’s Diet

Here in Indiana, the category of native bat species are microbats, which belong to the Microchiroptera order, hence their moniker. The most common microbats found in Indiana include the Indiana bat (Myotis Sodalis), Little Brown bat (Myotis Lucifugus), and Big Brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). Additional species in Indiana include the Big-Eared bat, Red bat, Southeastern bat, Hoary bat, Gray bat, Evening bat, Northern bat, Silver-Haired bat, and Pipistrelle bat. Microbats like these are insectivores, which means they eat a diet of insects. So, they will not eat your flowers and your gardens! Instead, they will eat moths, mosquitos, flies, gnats, termites, dragonflies, beetles, wasps, bees, grasshoppers, and many other types of flying insects.

Pest Control Benefits

One single bat can consume up to 1,000 insects in a single night, which is more than their own body weight given that most microbats are less than a few grams. Since bats are not solitary, and live in large colonies, a local bat population can eliminate hundreds of thousands of insects in just one night! Now that is some excellent, built-in pest control! And it’s entirely free of charge! This is a wonderful asset to your flowers and gardens because less insects are pillaging and infesting your crops. Additionally, bat guano (droppings) are a rich, organic fertilizer that can promote hardier, healthier, more vigorous growth in trees, shrubs, flowers, and more. See our blog, “Where Can I Find Bat Guano Fertilizers?” to learn more about using bat guano for your spring gardening goals.

Nuisance Bat Abatement

Now, just because bats are excellent partners for crops, pest control, and economy stimulation, they are still capable of causing damage to your property. For this reason, it is wise to ensure your home is fully-protected against nuisance bat damage and potential infestation. Contact a local and trusted Indiana bat control company for bat exclusion and proofing services you can trust. Once your home is protected, you can let the local bat populations do their work and protect your gardens from nasty bugs!

Indianapolis Bat Control Services You Can Trust

Call 317-535-4605 for prompt and professional Indianapolis bat control services you can trust. We are DNR licensed and insured wildlife control contractors that specialize is safe, non-lethal bat exclusion and extraction services. Whether commercial or residential, we are fully-equipped to extract from any property. We also provide 24 emergency bat removal, dead animal removal, bat proofing, restoration for bat damages, and more. Request a free estimate, anytime.

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

What is White Nose Syndrome in Bats?

Posted on by

Bats are known hosts to more than 60 Zoonotic viruses, all of which can be transmitted to people, pets, and other animals. Additionally, bats are carriers of several infectious viruses, bacteria, and parasites that can also be contagious. However, there are some illnesses that bats can contract, but cannot pass onto us. And White Nose Syndrome (WNS) is one of the most common examples of such illnesses.

Continue reading to learn more about White Nose Syndrome in bats, as well as, how you can protect your home or building from nuisance bat interference.

Indianapolis Bat Removal and Control 317-535-4605
A wildlife biologist checking the wings of a Big Brown Bat for signs of White-nose Syndrome.

White Nose Syndrome (WNS)

Hibernating bats are vulnerable to a debilitating disease called White Nose Syndrome (WNS). It gets its name from the distinctive symptoms it renders in bats, namely a white fungal growth on their noses, muzzles, and other areas of the body. In North America, this disease is spreading quickly among Microchiroptera populations, and has caused millions of bat fatalities. Eastern parts of the country have been most affected, but reports of WNS detection have come as far West as Oklahoma, and as far North as Canada. Continue reading to learn more facts about White Nose Syndrome in bats.

Top Facts About WNS:

⇛ Bats infected with WNS will show strange signs and exhibit odd behaviors. This includes daytime activity and clustering near the entry points of their roost.

⇛ According to White-Nose Syndrome.org, WNS has caused more than 5.5 million bat deaths to-date in the Northeast parts of the United States and Southern parts of Canada.

⇛ State and federal biologists are working with several laboratories to continue studying and investigating the correlation between fungi and bat deaths.

⇛ White Nose Syndrome affects bats that hibernate. More than 45% of bats in our country are hibernating species, four of which are endangered and already suspected of being infected.

⇛ Known species affected by WNS include the Big Brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Little Brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), Eastern small-footed bat (Myotis leibii), Endangered Gray bat (Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), and    Tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus).

⇛ Species that are suspected, but not yet confirmed, to be infected with WNS include the endangered Virginia Big-Eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus) and the endangered Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhiunus townsendii ingens).

⇛ WNS is still spreading across North America. Today, more than 19 states (Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, and Indiana) and 4 Canadian provinces have been confirmed sites of WNS outbreaks. 

⇛ Geomyces destructans is a newly-discovered fungus that is suspected to cause White Nose Syndrome in bats.

⇛ Species that are suspected, but not yet confirmed, to be infected with Geomyces destructans include the Cave bat (Myotis velifer) and the Southeastern bat (Myotis austroriparius).

Indianapolis Bat Removal and Control

Sometimes bats can get too close, and give us trouble. If you have nuisance bats, call 317-535-4605 to speak with a friendly and knowledgeable wildlife abatement specialist about bat removal and control services in Indianapolis, Indiana. Don’t let bats damage your property and cost you thousands of dollars in renovations! Let our DNR licensed and insured bat removal specialists provide the workable solutions you need.

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

What Do Bats Eat in Indiana?

Posted on by

With spring in full affect, you are more likely to catch a glimpse of feeding bats at dusk. This is even more likely if you live near a creek or body of water where insects like to linger and fly around. As a result of these increased sightings this time of year, it is natural to feel a bit threatened by the present of local bat populations.

But do not worry; bats will not attack so long as you keep your distance and never provoke them. And most importantly, do not believe the common myth that bats will suck your blood. Although there is a species of bat that consumes the blood of livestock, here in Indiana, bats are on a completely different kind of diet.

Continue reading to learn exactly what bats are eating night after night!

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

Microchiroptera Bats are Insectivores

Microchiroptera bats, also known as microbats, are the only Suborder of bats found in Indiana, and they are all insectivores. Insectivores are any living organisms with a diet that consists mostly of insects. A lot of well-known animals are insectivores, including hedgehogs, anteaters, armadillos, moles, and more. As for bats, you can add them to the list too.

A Bat’s Diet

A single bat can consume more than its own body weight in insects, in just one single evening. That’s an average of 1,000 insects or more. Since bats usually live in large colonies, a single group can eradicate millions of insects each night in just one area! That is why they are terrific pest control for our local crops, farmers, and even our own backyards. Mosquitoes are one of their favorite insects, which helps keep outdoor activities more fun, and abates the spread of mosquito-transmitted diseases.

The most common types of insects bats eat here in Indiana include:

↠ Mosquitoes
↠ Flies
↠ Gnats
↠ Moths
↠ Dragonflies
↠ Termites
↠ Beetles
↠ Grasshoppers
↠ Bees
↠ Wasps
↠ And Other Flying Insects

If Bats Get Too Close…

If you find a bat in the attic, house, yard, or other area of your property, it is strongly recommended to contact a local bat removal and control company for professional assistance. Never attempt to touch, trap, catch, or kill a wild bat. This means it is not a good idea to keep them as a pet either. Although bats are highly advantageous to our surrounding Eco-systems by controlling mosquito populations and pollinating forests, they are also dangerous to humans and pets, and should never be handled by an untrained individual under any circumstances.

Indianapolis Bat Removal Services You Can Trust

Call 317-535-4605 for bat removal and control in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 cleanup, bat damage repair, and bat-proofing services. Call 317-535-4605 for Indianapolis bat removal you can trust.

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

Common Mating Rituals of Male Microchiroptera Bats

Posted on by

Bats will never let you down when it comes to learning something new and interesting. They are a fascinating species of mammal, and the only mammals capable of true flight. On top of this remarkable trait, bats also exhibit unique mating behaviors; many of which are not exhibited by any other mammals in the animal kingdom. For instance, not all bat species retain the same mating seasons and practices. Different species mate and breed at different times, as well as locations.

Continue reading to learn more facts about microbat mating, and what to do if you come across a bat problem on your property this breeding season.

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

Hibernacula and Breeding

Bats that live in temperate regions migrate from their summer homes to their winter hibernation spots. This behavior is called hibernacula and it is where breeding takes place. These bats generally mate toward the end of summer into early fall, and females will actually store the male bat’s sperm for the next breeding season. But bats that live in hot or tropical regions don’t migrate at all. In fact, their mating practices are based solely on seasonal variations of food supply.

How They Choose Mating Partners

The way in which bats choose and court other bats is quite diverse. As for hibernating species of bats, they put on an annual flying show, showing off their agile flying and acrobatic skills in an attempt to court female bats. They will fly in huge swarms, darting and dipping, and performing impressive aerobatics. Once the show dies down, bats will couple up and find seclusion to mate. Although it is not yet proven whether or not female bats prefer more agile males, because of this fascinating phenomenon it is certainly a theory among researchers.

Showing off is certainly a theme among mating bats since other arboreal species like to use their talents to court female candidates too. For instance, Hammer-Head bats use their enlarged larynx and nasal cavities to “honk” at females.  During mating season, males line up in trees along the riverbank and call out to female bats that fly by. They use honking, grunting, and cooing sounds until they win the attention of a willing female Hammer-Head.

Even more interesting and somewhat similar, male sac-winged bats use their flying skills and pheromones to impress and court female bats. They hover in front of them, wafting their fumes and powering their wings until a female accepts. Other species of bat, like the Horseshoe bat, prefers discretion over showmanship. Instead of swarming, wafting, and honking to court their females, this species of bat lets the female come to them. Female bats will track down male Horseshoe bats, and then visit them at their private roost to mate.

Indianapolis Bat Removal and Control

Call 317-535-4605 for prompt and professional Indianapolis bat removal and control you can trust. We are DNR licensed and insured wildlife control contractors that specialize is safe, non-lethal bat exclusion and extraction services. Whether commercial or residential, we are fully-equipped to extract from any property. We also provide 24 emergency bat removal, dead animal removal, bat proofing, attic restoration for bat damages, and more. Request a free estimate, anytime.