Bat Cluster

The Definitive Guide to Bat Control and Where to Find a
Wildlife Control Professional!

Are you frustrated and tired of dealing with the Damage caused by WILDLIFE. This site deals with WILDLIFE DAMAGE and steps the "Do it yourselfer" can take to protecting your property from the damage caused by Wildlife in your area.

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Identification

Bats, the only mammals that truly fly, belong to the order Chiroptera. Their ability to fly, their secretiveness, and their nocturnal habits have contributed to bat folklore, superstition, and fear.

The colonial species most often encountered in and around human buildings in the United States are the Little Brown bat, (Myotis lucifugus), the Big Brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), the Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), the Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis), and the Evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis).

Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)

The little brown bat is a small mammal with a body length of 3 - 31/2" and weighing approximately 1/8 to 1/2 an ounce. The wingspan of little brown bats range from 6 - 8". Bats are the only mammals that engage in truly active flight. As their name suggests they are glossy brown above with a light buff color below. These bats can live 20 to 30 years.

The Little Brown Bat is found from Labrador west to central Alaska and south to the Appalachians in Georgia and Arkansas. Located in most states except Florida, Texas, and southern California. The little brown bat is found abundantly throughout New Hampshire.

Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis)

The Yuma myotis is found throughout western North America, from British Columbia through Washington, Idaho, and western Montana, southern Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, West Texas and into Mexico. Occasionally roosting in mines or caves, these bats are most often found in buildings or bridges. Bachelors also sometimes roost in abandoned cliff swallow nests, but tree cavities were probably the original sites for most nursery roosts. These bats typically forage over water in forested areas.

Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)

The Mexican free tailed bat is medium sized, weighing about 1/2 ounce and the width is about 3.5 inches. The ears are set fairly far apart to aid with echolocation. The Mexican free tailed bat is usually dark brown or black and covered in fur. Roughly a third of its tail extends beyond the legs and tail membrane - hence the name. Mexican free tailed bats have short, strong feet with bristles on the toe of each foot that aid in grooming.

Mexican free tailed bats live in caves. They can be found in the Western and Southern United States. They migrate south each winter to warmer locations.

They live in large colonies and feed mostly on cotton bollworm moths, which are considered an environmental pest. Bats are closely linked to their young, leaving the cave to bring back food for their offspring. Mother bats locate their young by recognizing their individual "cry" and smell. Mexican free tailed bats are incredibly important in the control of pest and insect populations.

Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus)

Pallid Bats are a pale buff-colored medium-sized bat. They weigh less then one ounce, but have a wing span of nearly nine inches. Their ears and eyes are larger then most insectivorous North American bats.

Pallid Bats are found in the arid West of North America. They spend the day-light hours hidden in the crevices of canyon walls or in the cracks and crevices of old buildings. They are active only at night. So in their daytime retreats, they sleep. During the winter, most Pallid Bats hibernate in deep crevices in canyon walls or deep in caves where the temperatures are cool and constant.

Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) are considered "large" for an American bat. They have brown to glossy copper-colored fur on their back with the belly fur being lighter. Their ears are small, rounded and black in color as are their wing membranes and tail. Their lips are fleshy and their nose is broad for the size of their face.

These bats are normally a forest dweller, but it does not hesitate to utilize attics and crevices in buildings, caves, and crevices in rocks for daytime retreats. Favorite roosts are under the loose bark of dead trees and in cavities of trees. These bats emerge rather early in the evening and feed among the trees, often following a regular route from one treetop to another and back again. Big brown bats prefer to forage among the crowns of the trees rather than under the forest canopy. Their flight is relatively slow and direct.

Big brown bats are relatively ferocious when captured. They usually squeal when handled and produce a rapid ratchet like sound; they continually try to bite and usually draw blood when they succeed in doing so. They cannot produce a serious wound, however. In winter they migrate or seek hibernation quarters in caves or buildings.

Range

They are worldwide in distribution and include about 900 species, second in number only to Rodentia (the rodents) among the mammals.

Among the 40 species of bats found north of Mexico, only a few cause problems for humans (note that vampire bats are not found in the United States and Canada). Bats congregating in groups are called colonial bats; those that live a lone existence are known as solitary bats.

Damage Caused by Bats

Many bats prefer open cavities such as house attics for nursery colony sites. These cavities protect the bats from predators, and offer the warmth that allows the newborn bats to use their energy for rapid growth. Large colonies can deposit sizable piles of droppings (guano) which can cause a strong, musty odor and stain ceilings and walls. In addition, bats can be noisy because of scrambling and squeaking. Bats do not chew entrances but can get into buildings through any existing openings 1/4 in. in diameter or larger.

If a person is bitten by a bat, they should get medical treatment immediately. The wound should be washed with soap and water, and your doctor and the health department should be contacted. Every attempt should be made to capture the bat alive using the technique described above. The captured bat should then be taken to the health department for rabies testing. Occasionally pets catch bats. For this reason, keeping pets vaccinated against rabies reduces the risk to humans.

Bat Guano in an attic

Control Methods

The first step in controlling bat-human conflicts is to determine what animals are causing the problem. Scratching, squeaking noises in walls, attics or chimneys can be caused by bats, birds, mice, squirrels, or raccoons. All of these animals may use human dwellings for refuge at some time if the opportunity presents itself. 

For best results contact a Wildlife Control Professional.