While bats aren’t exactly vicious creatures, it’s not fun to discover they’re living in your home. Bat infestation dangers are a real problem, and they need to be handled with care and prompt attention. Homeowners want to be wary of these five potential threats from bats living in the home.

1. Bat Guano

Bat guano accumulates over time as bats continue to roost in the home. The size of the colony dictates how big of a mess to clean. The guano contains a lung disease called Histoplasma capsulatum. This fungus grows in the soil, creating airborne spores. Natural air circulation throughout the home transfers this spores, which can unintentionally infect dwellers. 

On a less serious note, a large pile of bat poop leaves behind a distinct odour. The only way to get rid of this smell is with thorough cleaning and decontamination. Bat poop contaminates the soil, the floor—basically wherever it’s dropped in the home. Homeowners need a strong sanitization process as a result.

2. Rabies

Few bats carry the virus, but you run the risk of coming into contact with it if bats live in the home. Infected bats still lead full lives—even when infected, making it hard to tell if they have rabies or not. 

Rabies is a contagious disease that affects the central nervous system of humans and other mammals. It’s contracted through a bite or scratch of a rabid animal. Any unprotected bodily contact is a risk around bats. 

Symptoms can be fatal, and medical attention is absolutely necessary if you’ve come into direct contact with a bat. Some helpful hints to tell if bats have rabies are: finding bats roosting in weird places, such as the lawn, being approachable to humans, being active during the day, and being unable to fly.

3. Exterior Damage

Bats are getting into the home somehow, which means a thorough home inspection is necessary for locating all possible entry points. They can squeeze through holes the size of a dime, in addition to standard openings such as roofs, chimneys, vents, and soffits. This damages the home’s structural integrity, which is a costly repair project.

Bats chew into walls and leave milky streaks of urine on windowpanes and other surfaces. This takes time and money to clean. Holes and gaps need to be sealed. Warped material and loose screens need to be replaced. And separated entry points filled so bats can’t continue to enter.

4. Interior Damage

Bat infestation dangers extend inside the home. Regardless if their roost is in the walls or the attic, a bat’s nest and bathroom makes a mess. Urine leaves stains on wooden beams while guano collects on the floor, and this makes for difficult cleanup and a careful step in that area.

The layout of the home could increase the chance of contaminated water from urine runoff. Depending on where bats roost, it could mean urine is tracking directly into a water collection, which is a dangerous health hazard.

Bats tearing into insulation let heat escape, and homeowners will need to handle the cleanup of contaminated material. Replacing damaged wooden support beams and attic insulation takes a toll on the wallet that many weren’t previously expecting to pay for.

5. Fear

Evicting bats is a manageable issue, but that doesn’t mean that some homeowners are a bit worried about their new tenants. It can leave some concerned about bats flying throughout the home. Many find the fluttering and squeaking disruptive, and they’re unable to sleep while these nocturnal critters go about their business. Others may have a fear of being bit by one and catching a virus.

Bat infestation dangers are something homeowners with bats should be aware of. Getting bats out is your next step, and a wildlife removal company can get these creatures out safely for you.

Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!

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