There are over 40 species of bats in the USA & Canada. 3 of those species are blood-suckers, but don’t worry, they won’t suck your blood- instead they go for cows and other animals.

As scary as bats seem, they aren’t usually a direct threat to you. They don’t want to hurt you and are more afraid of you than you are of them.

Bats are actually beneficial to have in the wild because they eat several insects that annoy & bother us. They’re making our jobs easier by removing the pests before they infest!

In today’s post we shall share with you how to identify a bat problem, where bats hide, how to remove a bat, and what to do if you have a bigger problem.

We recommend watching the video version, which you can do by clicking HERE now.

If You Found a Bat inside Your Home

If you find a single bat inside your home, you can usually open some windows & doors and it’ll find its way out on its own. Don’t try to attack or hurt the bat as this only puts you at risk.

Safely hide your pets & children to ensure they don’t get hurt by accident or scared. The bat normally finds its way out with little pushing from you.

If the bat doesn’t find its way out, you can use a long stick to nudge it. Again, don’t try to hurt it as it may prompt it to attack you. For example, you could use a broom to try directing it to the window.

If this doesn’t work, you could put on gloves to attempt to catch the bet. Never handle a bat or wildlife animal with your bare hands. This puts you at risk for getting bit.

You should wear thick leather or thick work gloves. Don’t use cotton because bats can bite through that. If you lack gloves then you could use a rolled up cloth or shirt. Don’t use a towel however because the bats claws could get stuck in it.

Should the bat bite or scratch you, a loved one, or a pet, then it’s important to take them to a doctor immediately. It’s possible that the bat could be carrying rabies.

While you’ll most likely be okay, it’s important to get checked out immediately because rabies has a near-100% fatality rate and is transmitted by bites from wildlife animals.

Instead of using a cloth or gloves, you could also use some container to try catching the bat in. If you do this, make sure to tilt the container or allow the bat to climb a tree trunk or other vertical surface because bats can’t take flight from the ground.

After a Bat Problem

It’s important to identify whether this is a one-off situation or whether you have a bat problem.

First ask yourself how the bat got into your home. Was it through an open window or door? Or did they get in some other way?

It’s possible that a bat could’ve snuck in through a hole you didn’t even realize you had! There are many different possible ways a bat could enter the home.

The next thing you should do is conduct a thorough clean of yourself & the home. This will get rid of any lingering bat odor and prevent disease that the bat may have been carrying.

Signs of a Bat Problem

Here are some signs of a greater bat problem. If you had one single bat and it was clearly a one-off situation, this doesn’t apply

These are signs of a bat problem for people that are worried there may be more bats, or don’t have a single bat.

1. Lots of bats outside the home, flying around your home, etc. If you see lots of bats at night flying around your home they may be using your home as a hideout
2. Seeing bats fly into your attic, onto your chimney, etc. They may be using these places as entrances into your home
3. Bat waste, droplings, or other bat-related stuff
4. Strange odors (could be from bats or other wildlife animals)
5. Strange sounds, scratching, little hissing & squeaking noises (could also be from other wildlife animals)
6. Bats inside the home (if you find one there could very well be more)

Where Bats Hide

Bats will often try hide in people’s chimney or in the attic. If there is a way to get in between the walls they may hideout there as well.

They are afraid of humans so they probably won’t be in the common areas of your home. If they are, they won’t be in the open!

What To Do For a Bat Problem

If you had a one-off bat problem, just make sure to do a thorough clean and make sure to lock up the entrances the bat got into your home in the first place.

If you don’t want to remove the single bat alone, you fear there are other bats, or know you have a bat problem, then it’s important to let the experts handle the situation.

In most states & countries it would be illegal to just kill the bats or harmfully remove them. It’s important to have an expert handle it for your safety, bat safety, and even your home’s safety.

Give us a call today at 855-WILDLIFE if you think you have a bat problem. We can safely remove them and prevent it from happening again. We also offer chimney caps to prevent bats from getting in there too.