Bats aren’t animals you want to have in your home. Bat infestations are scary ordeals, and present several dangers to your home and health. There are plenty of ways to protect your home against unwanted animals, but sometimes taking preventative measures isn’t enough to hold back Mother Nature. Bats looking for warm and dry places to roost for the winter are drawn to attics, chimneys, or the walls. Bats roosting in your attic will multiply, and very quickly. Male bats roost outside, so any bat in your home would be female therefore presenting an elevated risk of baby bats being born in your home, multiplying the population of the colony exponentially. Below is an extensive guide that will teach you everything you need to know about a bat infestation in your home and attic and how best to proceed.
Because bats are very quiet compared to most critters you will encounter in your home and also because they are active in the evening; confirming the presence of bats will take a little investigating:
Check out this video to see an actual entry point:
Bats in Canada are an endangered species and as such are protected under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. When it comes to bat removal in Ontario, the law is very clear. It is illegal to kill a bat, even if it flies into your home. The Fish and Wildlife act lists several species of bats that are protected. You can find the table below:
Bats generally migrate and return each spring to settle down, but if the climate is warm enough, they may stay year-round. Spring is mating season. This is the best season to evict bats because they aren’t fully settled, and they’re flying around a lot at night, searching for insects and food to survive. Once June hits, it’s illegal to install bat doors as these will lock the mothers out leaving the babies to perish without their mother’s support. You must wait until the babies are older (August) until further preventative measures can be employed.
If you suspect you have a bat colony living in your walls or attic, contact a wildlife removal expert immediately. Bat removal should only be completed by professionals. Because of the dangers listed above from bat guano and other bacteria and diseases, along with the fact they are a protected species. It’s important you call professionals immediately and do not attempt this on your own. The risks and legal repercussions are not worth the savings.
It would be impossible to individually remove each bat. As mentioned earlier they are a protected species, so it is illegal to exterminate them. The only way to legally and effectively remove the entire colony is through thorough prevention measures and the use of a one-way-door system. We seal up every possible entry point and place a one-way door on the main entry and exit point. These doors are basically cones placed on the exit areas with a much narrower opening at the end. The bats can crawl through the cone and exit, but will not be able to fly back in once they attempt to return. This will ensure they have locked themselves out permanently. Many bats will leave during the first night, however, it typically takes about 6 weeks to ensure the entire colony has been excluded. Once the animals are successfully evicted we return to remove the door and seal up the area.
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