Bats in House Mean More Living Upstairs

For release: August 7, 2007

Homeowners think bats just “flew in the window”

Most people who find a bat flying around their house believe the bat just flew in an open window or door. It is very rare that bats will do this and most people are not aware of the potential dangers that bats pose. This time of year, baby bats are beginning to leave their roosting area (often in attics, roofs or walls) and are still disoriented. They will get into the living area and fly around trying to find an exit. Since they roost in colonies, you can be sure there are more in the building.

“If people aren’t outright scared of the bat, they will try and shoo it out with a broom or grab it,” notes Humane Wildlife Control President Bill Dowd. “But this increases the risk of a bat bite and health units advise extra caution when it comes to bats and rabies,” he cautions.

Potential Rabies Infection Should Be Taken Seriously

Bats have very small teeth and can bite without you noticing it, especially when sleeping. Bats are the most common carriers of rabies. Health units advise anyone finding a bat in their living space in the morning or who have come into contact with a bat to seek immediate medical attention. Rabies can cause severe illness and death if not treated promptly, and health units err on the side of caution.

Brown Bats Can Carry Other Diseases

• Bed bugs are a growing problem in Ontario and Quebec cities. Bats are common carriers of bed bugs, which multiply and look for other hosts, such as pets and people, when they roost in buildings. They are extremely difficult to eradicate and bites can cause serious itching and welts.
• Bats produce a lot of feces (guano), which if inhaled by humans, can cause an incurable respiratory disease called histoplasmosis. The very young, very old and those with impaired immune systems are at greatest risk for severe illness.
• Although most bats are not rabid, they are the most common species to carry rabies. Symptoms can take up to one year to appear, and if not treated quickly, serious illness and death can result.

Difficult to Detect, Remove and Keep Out

• Health units do not recommend people remove bats themselves because of potential health risks.
• Brown bats are very difficult to detect in walls, attics and roofs – they can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime. They should be removed before temperatures get colder or they will go dormant for the winter and proper sealing will ensure they do not return.
• Bats feed on a 24-48 hour cycle. Plugging a hole after they leave at night may seal half the colony in and cause building damage and disease.

Humane and Effective Removal the Best Method

Humane Wildlife Control uses humane methods to remove bats and keep babies with their mothers. Professional operators guarantee their work – both the removal of the bat and making sure they don’t come back.

“Bats are one of the most misunderstood animals because of movies and mythology,” says Bill Dowd. “They eat insects like mosquitoes, which people appreciate, but they can also spread rabies and you should be very cautious around them” he warns.

Humane Wildlife Control has been an industry leader since 1989, and has pioneered several humane removal and exclusion techniques for a wide variety of urban animals.

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For more information:

Bill Dowd, President
1-877-222-3459 ext 220