As soon as you detect bats in the attic, you should call a bat removal service for the humane removal. Attempting to rid the attic of them yourself is a dangerous endeavor and not worth the risk. Bats are also a protected species in Canada and you can be fined up to $10,000 for every bat killed, so it’s best to leave bat removal to the professionals.
You may have been living with bats in the attic for a while before you even noticed they were there because bat colonies are quiet and start off small. As time goes by, the number of bats increases. They can double every year, along with the damage that those bats can do to your attic.
There are many home remedies for bat removal on the internet, but any DIY bat removal exposes you to harmful infections and unnecessary hardship. An experienced wildlife control professional is better equipped to evacuate the bats and clear the area so that there is nothing harmful left over.
Here is what NOT to do if you have bats in the attic.
Remove the Bats Yourself
Attempting to remove bats from the attic on your own exposes you to diseases and parasites that are harmful to humans, including rabies. Having bats in the attic is a much different situation than having mice or raccoons in there because of the risk they pose to your health. Physical contact with a bat can come with a host of health hazards, including cryptococcosis infections, ticks, mites, and parasites.
Seal All Entryways
You may think that you are keeping new bats from entering your home, but sealing off any entries to your attic can also trap bats inside your attic. This can cause them to die inside, which is, of course, not an ideal situation. The bats will also search for a way out of the attic, causing more damage to your home.
A wildlife removal specialist can safely remove the bats in the attic before any entryways can be sealed to ensure that bats will not return. Attic restoration is a crucial step in making sure your attic is safe and that you won’t get a new infestation of bats. Restoration specialists will make sure that there are no entryways for bats in your attic in a thorough, professional manner.
Clean up the Guano
Bat guano, or bat droppings, can carry the disease histoplasmosis, which can cause a lung infection. A human can get infected when the spores of fungus growing in the guano become airborne, as they would if you were cleaning up the droppings. There are sometimes no visible symptoms to histoplasmosis, but it is potentially fatal for infants and the elderly.
Do Nothing
Bats live in seasonal roosts, meaning that they move to a new roost at different parts of the year. Even if you stop hearing noises and believe the bats have left on their own, you still need to contact a professional. The bats will still come back at the same time the following year if the area is not cleaned out.
The longer you leave the bats in the attic, the more damage they will do, and the more restoration you’ll need once the bats are eventually removed. Plus, bat roosts can host parasites that can invade the rest of your house. Even if the bats are gone for a time, they still leave damage behind.
Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!