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Bat Questions & Answers
(click on a question to see the answer)
(after reading the answer, clicking on the flying bat will bring you back to the
questions)
Ontario Bat Control and Ontario Bat Removal - Bats Canada does it all!
Will the bats move to a bat house on their own?
Bats are not so different from you and I. They would like to
live in the most comfortable place they can find. Your house may be much more
sheltered than a bat box, especially from predators while they are raising
young. Once you force them to move out they may move to a bat box if provided
but being very loyal to their place of residence they may try to get back in for
quite a while.
All animals can contract rabies. Bats are no exception. It has
been found that bats that are sent in to be tested, that are suspected to have
rabies are found to actually carry the disease in only 5-10% of cases. The
actual incidence of bats having rabies is very rare, only about 0.5% found in
bat populations.
Bats are not likely to enter your living space intentionally
through open doors or windows. If a bat is in your home it is likely lost and
just seeking a way out. Chasing a bat out will only frighten it more. It is best
to shut out the lights, open a window or door to the outside and let it leave on
it's own.
Do bat repelling devices work?
Once the bats have moved in a bat repelling unit that creates
a noise that they don't like is unlikely to force them out. It might work to
discourage bats from coming in at first, but not to make them leave. Such
devices are commonly used to discourage mice but soon the mice ignore them, bats
are not so different. Think of you getting used to your kids playing their own
music.
Bats are peaceful, gentle creatures that attack only their
prey, in most cases insects. They are more frightened by you than you should be
of them. We do have a significant size advantage. They are likely to harm
themselves trying to get away.
While bats in your belfry would be common, bats getting
tangled in your hair trying to attack you is not. See above answer.
Bats common to Ontario are all insect eaters. The size of the
bat indicates how large of a winged insect it may try and eat. Large Brown Bats
will eat moths, butterflies or dragonflies if found while its common cousin the
Small Brown bat will eat small insects like gnats, mosquitoes or flies.
The most obvious way to know you have a bat problem is
visually seeing them entering your dwelling or building from the exterior. You
may not notice this though and a few other things can clue you in to their
presence. If you are constantly finding bats showing up in rooms or your
basement, it is likely you have bats as guests. You might also hear the noise of
them moving in your walls or across the ceilings and you may even hear their
distinct clicking noises. One other dead giveaway that you have bats is smell or
staining. You may find dark streaks on the walls below their common entry holes,
you may smell a powerful scent of urine or even see stains appearing on ceilings
that face the roof space or even have mould growing on ceilings.
There are many different ways to try and get rid of bats but
only one permanent solution short of tearing your building down. The entire
structure needs to be sealed and screened down to the smallest gap to ensure
that once your unwelcome house guests have been moved out, they stay out. There
is no other way that is sure fire. You cannot seal up some holes or just their
main entry ways. If you were locked out of your house, you would find a way back
in. The bats think the same way. The only way to win is leave absolutely no
entry way open.
Do you kill them or catch them?
We try very hard not to kill any of the bats. Some bats are
endangered species and deserve protection and are afforded protection by law. We
do not have many species up north that would live in a dwelling and be
considered endangered. The bat is very necessary for our environment not to be
overrun with insects. They provide an invaluable service to us so we make every
effort to keep them safe. We do provide live capture and release but choose not
to do this unless there is an absolute necessity to do so. Capturing bats in
large numbers inevitably leads to some fatalities, especially to the young. We
choose to vent them out whenever possible.
Bats are relatively long lived when compared to many other
wild things we observe regularly. Small brown bats, common in Ontario can live
as long as 30 to 35 years. Their larger cousins may live only half as long but
still will outlast most birds or squirrels you might see in your neighbourhood.
Bats are not very good to have as pets due to their unique
lifestyle requirements. You can see examples of bats being kept by zoos or by
wild life experts for study or rehabilitation but not really as pets. They can
become used to humans and can even be handled carefully, but this is not within
the scope of the average person and our usual way of living.
Many species of bats around the world are in grave danger of
becoming extinct. This is mainly due to the fact that habitat is lost to them
and competition for food sources has increased. The greater danger is often when
fruit bats are damaging crops that farmers have laboured over. This leads to
measures that trap or kill the bats as they try to feed. Here in Ontario we
don't compete for insects with our native bats but we do put pesticides into our
environment to control the insects. These chemicals find their way into the bats
and can damage them in many ways.
Bat removal is really not that difficult, if you know where to
look and are very meticulous so as to close up all gaps in a building. Fear of
heights usually stops most people from doing a very thorough job and a lack of
understanding of building methods, air flow and bats habits can leave even
thorough jobs unsuccessful. The bats are usually not where you think they are,
so you can't just go into the attic and scare them out. You may not find them at
all.
What are the dangers of having bats in my house?
Bats are not very good house guests. They are not toilet
trained and don't keep the same hours as we do. We want to sleep; they are just
getting up for work. The habits of bats can cause major damage and health risks
for you and you home environment. Bats will urinate in the walls and roof areas
as well as drop their guano where ever is convenient for them. This can cause
damage to the wood, insulation and drywall in a building. This can also lead to
terrible smells and the growth of mould in the damp areas. The bat guano can
also develop mould that can lead to serious respiratory infections if it is
swept up and the dust is taken into the lungs.
Bats are no different than any other animal. They do have
sharp teeth for eating the insects and will bite if handled incorrectly. I will
again mention that bats are much more afraid of you than you should be of them.
They are not going to attack you and bite you unless cornered and trapped, much
as any other creature would.
Where do they go in the winter?
Many bat species will find a place to roost for the winter.
Some species have caves they will return to, some will migrate to reach their
winter habitat. Some will just make themselves comfortable in you insulated
walls, moving to warm spots as the winter passes. The do hibernate and can pass
the winter quietly waiting for warm weather to again provide them with their
food source.
Bats will enter a dwelling through unscreened vents, holes in
soffit and fascia and even through gaps less than one inch wide. They enter
areas that they can either fly straight into or can swoop up to and catch onto
with the tiny claws on their hands which are found in the wing membranes. A spot
that a bat can catch onto, he can pull himself into.
Bats in Ontario emit sounds far above the human hearing range
while they are on patrol. An interesting tool is a bat detector which can hear
these frequencies and turn them into a series of clicks that can be traced onto
a computer. The only sound we can hear from the bats is the clicking of their
teeth as they chatter in alarm when disturbed.
Bats are warm blooded mammals and bat species actually make up
almost one fourth of all mammals on the surface of the earth. Since they are
mammals as we are, they give birth to live young and nurse them much as other
mammals do. They do not lay eggs or nest as birds do.
Bats are a member of the family of mammals, but being unique
in that they are the only mammals that truly fly, they have their own family
name .They are known by the Latin name Chiropteran, which means in English :
hand -wing. They are known this way due to the fact that their wings are really
long fingers with a skin membrane between them that makes up a wing. See above
answer.
Bats are warm blooded mammals that have wings and can fly. See
above answers.
Are there vampire bats in Ontario?
There are no vampire bats in our portion of North America.
There are some in captivity that can be seen in zoos. They commonly prey on
livestock or wild animals and usually feed on wounds that bleed, not always
caused by them.
What does their poop look like?
Ontario bats are insect eaters and their droppings or guano
looks similar to mouse droppings. They leave behind soft dark pellets made up of
the leftover insect casings that they have ingested.
How do you tell if it is bat poop?
Bat droppings or guano as it is known differs from mouse turds
in that bat droppings will break apart under pressure but a mouse turd will
smear and leave a smudge under pressure.
Do you need to clean up after the bats are gone?
The short answer is yes, but not always. Bats will always
leave something behind, but the type of construction method used in your
dwelling may cause their leavings to never be a nuisance or a danger to you. We
have done hundreds of bat jobs where the amount of material or its isolation did
not pose any hazard to the home owner. We have also done bat jobs where colonies
have lived for 50 yrs. and the guano is stacked up to 6 ft. in height. The
choice whether or not to clean after or before a bat job is one best made after
a complete inspection is made of the building and a risk assessment is carried
out.
How do you clean up bat droppings and urine?
Bat droppings must be considered toxic and are cleaned up in a
manner similar to asbestos or mould. The urine is not in itself dangerous but
can lead to mould growth. In the case of the urine, smell is the greatest
problem. See "what are the dangers of having bats in my house?" We
remove all soiled materials and use biological cleaning agents to sanitize and
sterilize affected areas. Every precaution must be taken to ensure that the home
is not infected or polluted during this process.
Where do they go in the house?
Many people will look into their attic and declare, "I
don't have any bats, and I didn't see even one up there!" This is often the
case but usually incorrect. While bats may very well be hanging from your
rafters, they also may be comfortably nestled down in your walls and concealed
or insulated areas. You may not see them at all, but they are probably there.
How do they get into my rooms or basement?
Bats move through a building following air flow patterns. They
can be fooled by following these air flow patterns down into cold air returns or
all the way down walls into your basement looking for the way out. Often they
move during cold spells while searching for a warm place to roost and go back to
sleep. Have you ever been confused while a little bit sleepy?
Can I block them out from the rooms?
All of the entrances inside your house can be screened to
exclude bats from entry to rooms or your basement. We of course prefer to move
the bats out and screen the entries from outside as a more permanent solution.
How can I get a bat out of my house?
Bats don't want to be in your house any more than you want
them to be there. They would much rather be outside scooping up yummy mouthfuls
of bugs from the air. All it takes is a wrong turn or a little bad judgment for
them to end up inside your house. Shut out the lights and heard the bat from the
main house areas into a room with a door or larger window open to the outdoors.
The bat will find it's way out. This may not work so well in the winter. Once a
bat gets cold he will cease flying and can be carefully put into a box and
handed over to animal control or another authority.
Please don't poison or kill bats. They are an essential part
of our ecosystem and may even be of a type protected by law. Bats in our area
are insectivores, so poisoning their food source would be very difficult.
Spraying poison into your own attic would be foolish and most likely dangerous
to you.
There are some species of bat that are endangered and those
killing them could be prosecuted. Check with your local animal control centre.
How much does it cost to get them out?
Bat proofing can be quite expensive due to the necessity to
screen off or seal up every access point on and above your walls, windows and
vents. The soffit and fascia areas are favorite entry points for bats as well.
This may mean that aluminum repairs or installations may be needed to close up
gaps or seal out entire areas. This will serve to beautify as well as protect
your home. Not all jobs are as difficult but are still very time consuming. The
costs can vary widely based on size, construction methods and condition of a
building. We have bat proofed many new homes and owners have been surprised by
what builders will call acceptable for gaps and lack of any type of screening
over venting areas.
A bat job done properly will be completely effective upon
completion. We offer a three year warranty with no bats back in. We can even
extend your warranty indefinitely with re-inspections and upgrades to keep up
with your homes natural need for repairs. Professional workers would always back
up their work. If you get a great deal and wild claims for a low price, beware.
Why are car repairs so expensive, or plumbers or electricians?
We are a professional company offering a unique and guaranteed service to
Ontario and Quebec residents. We charge accordingly. We also travel long
distances to bring our expertise to you. We will leave your home much better
than we found it. We might even eliminate a lot of the drafts in your home due
to our comprehensive program of sealing your home.
What if I get someone cheaper to do it?
Would you go to a cut rate doctor for your health? Why go to a
cut rate service for the health of your home and indirectly, your family's
health? Not all low priced outfits are bad or looking to rip you off. They may
simply lack the expertise with bats to understand the full nature of the job.
Many of our clients have tried the low priced route. They ended up paying again
to have us do a complete and successful job. It may be cheaper to pay just once
even if the price seems higher than you might have expected.
What if I just leave them there?
Bats are bad house guests. They don't mean to be but it just
seems to be their nature. Why risk long term damage to your home or your health?
See "What are the dangers of having bats in my house?"
Are there dangers to leaving them there?
Short answer is "yes". See above answer.
Bats are not afraid of the light. They are nocturnal animals
and prefer to sleep during the day and come out to feed at night where they have
the advantage of echo-location and keen eye sight.
Bats can actually see very well.
Bats use a system of echo-location to target and home in on
prey while airbourne. Bat detectors allow us to here a bat in flight and the
chirps and clicks they use to home in on their prey. See Links for bat
detectors.
How small of a hole can they get into?
Small brown bats can squeeze through holes less than a half of
an inch thick. Think about that that mouse that squeezes under the baseboards.
Bats are equally amazing in their acrobatics and entry abilities.
Genetics have engineered bats for something wonderful, flight.
They have paid a price for that gift in the loss of the ability to walk upright.
They can crawl quite well and use this ability to grip onto surfaces that they
swoop up to and then enter with their clawed fingers.
People have often seen bats swooping low over water and
wondered if bats can swim. Swimming is not a talent they are blessed with but
they do not have any fear of water. Bats will skim ponds or lakes for a quick
drink of water as well as a mouthful of water skimming insects. Yumm.
I looked in the attic but don't see bats. Do I still have them and if so, where?
See "Where do they go in the house" and some of the
adjacent answers.
If I find a bat in my house occasionally, do I have more?
Most likely you have some sort of bat problem if they keep
showing up inside your home. I have lived all over the world in places with a
lot of bat activity and have never found one in my home or hotel. See "How
do I know I have bats?"
Dead animals found around you home have come to their end for
some sort of reason. Common sense dictates that all dead animals or creatures
should be handled carefully, using gloves or a shovel to put them into a sealed
bag or other container. If there is a report of rabies in your area, you may
want to consult your local animal control authority. Dispose of unwanted dead
bats in your household trash once sealed up in a bag or container.
I do not know of any bat rehabilitation centres in Ontario
that are currently operating. Any updated info I receive will be added to this
site as information becomes available. Local animal control centres will be your
best bet to try.
I do not know of anyone that offers a bat pickup service
except local pest control companies that might dispose of them, (kill them and
throw them away).
Are there any places that fix bats that are hurt?
See" what if I find a hurt bat?"
If I catch a bat can I put it outside in the cold?
A bat that is put out in the cold will perish as they cannot
fly in cold weather and would either freeze to death or be killed by an animal
looking for a quick meal. They survive in cold season by hibernating.
Where can I take a bat I caught?
Bats survive best in the wild and should be released in a wild
area. Bats that are used to living in a home will quickly return no matter how
far away you release them. If they are lost, kindly turn them out of doors so
they can resume their lives.
Are bats worth anything, I have a lot ?
There is no particular value associated with bats at the
present time. People do ask us for bats that we have captured to let loose in
their yards for Bat houses. We do not comply with such requests as bats must
feed regularly so time in a trap being transported to a new home would cause
them undue harm. Bats will not likely choose a bat box over the home we evict
them from so they will just fly back to where they came from and attempt
re-entry. Once they fail at re-entry the will find themselves a new suitable
habitation, perhaps a new bat house behind the home they were evicted from.
Bats are afraid of you! They should not be feared but treated
with the respect due to any wild creature, and subsequently left alone.
Can I just sell my house instead of paying to get the bats out?
We have had many customers who have bought houses that had
bats. The realtor is obliged to share any information known about the home to
any prospective buyers. If you should fail to disclose your bat problem to your
realtor or to a prospective buyer, you may be liable to subsequent civil charges
in small claims court.
Can I catch something if I touch a bat?
Wild animals come into contact with many things that may not
be good for us. Bats transmit disease as any other wild animal might and the
same precautions should be taken if you were to handle any other wild creature.
We use gloves when handling bats, preferably leather that a frightened bat might
not be able to bite through.
Bats do not have access to water that they may wash and do not
groom as cats do. The bats also hang upside down and this can create havoc with
the best hairdo. The pungent odour that bat dwellings may give off is due to the
urine that they drop while roosting. Think about a cat box long overdue for a
cleaning and you will understand. This can happen in your attic on your nice
absorbent insulation and it will leave quite an odour behind.
Can I lure them out with fruit or other kinds of food?
The bats found in Ontario that you might find in your home are
insect eaters and they generally catch these insects while in flight. This does
make it promising to try and lure the bats out with food. They will come out to
feed when the temperature and time is right.
Why do bats go into my basement?
Bats do not go to basements for any reason of their own
choice. Usually if a bat ends up in your basement it is because it has become
confused or lost in the air flow system of your home and has followed an airflow
down a wall and ended up in the basement.
There is a real possibility of bats evicted from one home
ending up in a neighbour's home. The bats will try and get into their home, and
failing that may follow another bat to a close suitable place where bats are
already present.
Will my neighbour's bats move to my house?
There is a real possibility that bats evicted from your
neighbour's home might move to yours if your home is in a condition that is
conducive to bat entry. There is also the possibility that you may already have
bats that have expanded from the neighbour's colony previously and will now take
in guests that have recently been evicted from their old home.