How to Deal with Bats Invading Home

When you see the black-winged creatures, pouncing on your home and flying into your rooms, as they please, it can be very terrifying. Their bodies, wings, and their movements can be very frightening to children. Not to mention, they do carry diseases and if bitten, can spread them to humans. We have heard about the dangers of eating bats from the coronavirus pandemic. Although this is just alleged to how the virus spread, it just shows you what these wild flying creatures can do. If you seem to have an infestation of bats, then you should call professionals like us for bat removal. We have the skills, expertise, equipment, and trained experts to help you rid your home and return to a normal life again.

The manner of the infestation

Most of the time, bats have accidentally flown inside your home. They are just searching for an exit and are probably more terrified of you than you are of them. Do not handle the bat no matter what. As mentioned, if you’re bitten by a bat trying to defend itself, it could be a very serious consequence waiting for you.

Is a bat fleeing from something? Bats can sometimes have battled over territory. It may be a single bat or perhaps a bat from a colony. They might have been flourishing for food and they could have been attacked by another bat. They accidentally flew into your home trying to get away from their aggressor.

A bat might actually like your home. Do you have a shed or garage? They like damp and dark places and these buildings are very commonly the cause for bat invasions. However, you still shouldn’t handle the bat and allow us to take care of it for you.

How to identify them?

• Bats have small heads, about the size of a miniature dog like a chihuahua.
• The bats’ flight can look like bird movements, as they swoop down and can look like a gliding swallow.
• All bats have webbed wing structures, the closer you look the more blended they will look. Their arms and claws will slightly protrude but their wings will look like the letter ‘m’.
• Some of the larger bats can have wingspan up to 5 feet and just as large as a bird of prey, weighing up to 2 pounds.
• Bats huddle together when sleeping, as they are cold-blooded animals. However, not all bats are social and they can be solitary i.e. live alone.

If you find bats in the attic

As mentioned, bats like dark and damp places. Although the attic isn’t always damp, it does feel muggy and humid because hot air always rises in the home. If there is a hole in your tiles or shingles, a bat might have found its way inside.

If you know that there are bats inside your attic, you must be careful when inspecting the area. Careful not to fall off the ladder as a bat may attack you while being protective. Make sure you are safely standing on the ladder and use a torch to identify if there is just one bat or a family of bats.

But what if you’re not sure? Well, bats will leave bat droppings on the floor and the support beams. If you can spot guano which is usually pale white or a stick substance, this could be a sign. If you have urine stains on the brick or wood, this could also be a sign. If you can see something swaying to and fro, hanging from the attic ceiling, this is a clear sign of a sleeping bat. If you can heat little squeaks and clicks at night, and it sounds like something going in and out of your house, this could also be a sign. If there’s tapping on the ceiling of the attic, this is also something that could mean you have bats.

Don’t half the bat, don’t try to hit them, don’t try to catch them in any way. We will find and capture the bats for you.

Getting evidence

Bat removal isn’t always easy; especially if they are in a hard to reach a position like an attic or garage. However, if you feel it’s safe, please take some photos of what you deem to be evidence. This could be photos of bat guano, scratches on the ceiling or the area, sound recordings of calls and squeaks, as well as actual photos of bats hanging upside down.

We could identify the type of bat it is, tell you whether it’s aggressive or not, and then give you advice as to what to do about them. We highly recommend that you be cautious and remember that bat removal should always be done by the professionals. Gather some evidence if you can but if you’re still not sure or too scared to go anywhere near the area, we will arrive on the scene ready to do it for you.

How to handle it?

We recommend that you don’t try to catch them because bats are known to attack and bite. This can result in a sharp sensation of pain, drawing of blood, and being infected with a disease that could be deadly. Keep your children safe and away from the known area. Stay in your rooms during night time and try to avoid going near the area where the bat has been living. As soon as you can, call in the experts.

Don’t hesitate to call Swat Wildlife. This is what we do, we’re highly trained professionals in the field of catching all sorts of vermin, including bats. We know what the signs are of a bat invasion and we have various bat removal techniques that won’t disturb or damage your home in any way. You can also read our tips for keeping bats away from your home to not end up in the same situation again.