Discovering Bats in a House This Time of Year is a Frequent Problem

1. Pup
2. Chuck
3. Cub
4. Hatchling

The discovery of a bat in a structure usually means: a) windows or doors have been left open or have holes in them; or b) bats have invaded the interior of the structure, and it should be inspected. Big Brown bats and Little Brown bats probably account for most sudden appearances. Most bat complaints occur in July and August when bats enter houses via overhangs, eaves, unscreened vents and end construction gaps. Bats can squeeze thru holes 3/8" wide (a dime sized hole). They occasionally enter the house through chimneys or open windows, and many get lost and enter the building interior after migrating through the structure to seek a preferred temperature zone.

Sometimes bats may appear in a room, then disappear by crawling under a door to another room, hallway, or closet. They may also disappear behind curtains, wall hangings, bookcases, under beds, into waste baskets, and so forth. Locating and removing individual bats from living quarters can be laborious, but is important to ensure the safe capture and release of the bat. Since big brown bats may hibernate in the cooler recesses of heated buildings, they may suddenly appear (flying indoors or outdoors) in midwinter during a warm spell, or a cold snap as they move about to adjust to the temperature shift.

Before you get too upset about the bats in, or around your home, open your mind to these facts: Bats are the only flying mammal in the world and bats are very beneficial in that they can eat half their body weight in insects each day. Over 40 species of bats live in North America - and there's not a vampire among them! Their ability to fly, their secretiveness and their nocturnal habits have contributed to bat folklore, superstition, and fear.

Most commonly, bats can be found in and near buildings, often located near a body of water where they forage for insect prey. The home pool is also a popular destination. Summer colonies are very gregarious, commonly roosting in dark, hot attics and associated roof spaces where maternity colonies may include hundreds to a few thousand individuals. Colonies may also form beneath shingles and siding, in tree hollows, beneath bridges, and in caves. Bats are one of the slowest reproducing animals for their size. Each mother bat gives birth to just one pup each year, but twins can occasionally occur.

Bats are found worldwide 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. Most North American bats emit high frequency sounds (ultrasound) inaudible to humans and similar to sonar, in order to avoid obstacles, locate and capture insect prey, and to communicate. Click here to hear bat sounds.

Their most distinguishing feature is their forelimbs, which are developed as wings, making them them the only mammal in the world naturally capable of flight; other mammals, such as flying squirrels and gliding phalangers, can glide for limited distances but are not capable of true sustainable flight.

The life span of little brown bats has been established to be as great as 31 years. The average life expectancy, however, is probably limited to only a few years.

Individual bats that get into the living space of a house can often be let out by opening the doors and/or windows. Exclusion is the number one priority in bat management. Thorough exclusion of all holes larger than 1/4" is needed at all potential openings, especially in the top half of the building, and control should be left up to professionals. Contact the professionals at your local Critter Control office for further information.

People usually know when they have been bitten by a bat. However, because bats have small teeth which may leave marks that are not easily seen, there are situations in which you should seek medical advice even in the absence of an obvious bite wound. For example, if you awaken and find a bat in your room, see a bat in the room of an unattended child, or see a bat near a mentally impaired or intoxicated person, seek medical advice and have the bat tested.

Poisoning bats is illegal and usually leads to an increased number of contacts with people and pets in the vicinity. Repellents are generally ineffective against bats and may even drive bats further into the structure.

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