Bat Removal

We Offer Bat Removal in the Atlanta Area

Think you have bats roosting in your house or business? You are not alone! Bat removal is our most popular service here at Georgia P.A.W.S.

Call Us at 678-313-3781

About Bats

Bats are a common pest problem among homeowners and commercial property owners. They are territorial creatures that prefer dark, empty spaces to make their homes. Once they pick a roosting spot, they revisit it every year unless something stops them from getting to it. A bat can fit into openings as small as 3/8ths of an inch!

Take a look at some of the bats that our team has found roosting in attics around the Atlanta area.

Bat season in Georgia begins around March and lasts through the fall (and since fall can last well through December, we have calls almost all year regarding bat removal.)

Georgia is home to 16 different species of bats. We typically see two types: The Big Brown Bat or the Little Brown Bat. But as creepy as they may appear, bats actually serve and important part of our ecosystem.

Ecological Benefits of Bats

Although having bats in your home is very dangerous, bats in their natural habitat are very beneficial to the local ecosystem. An unknown fact about bats is that they actually support biodiversity by pollinating and dispersing the seeds of hundreds of species of plants.

Bats eat many insects, particularly mosquitoes. The average bat consumes between 600 to 1000 insects an hour! Because of this, bats are protected species. Killing a bat can cost you a hefty fine.

Just as bats rely on thousands of insects each night, other animals in the ecosystem rely on bats for their own survival. Hawks, falcons, and owls all eat bats.

Dangers of Bats in Structures

Even though bats are very beneficial to our ecosystem, there are many dangers of having bats in your house or business.

Bat guano (droppings) are associated with several, dangerous diseases. Some of the most common bat diseases include rabies (check out my personal experience with rabies here) and histoplasmosis: a lung disease caused by the spores of the fungus which grows on bat guano.

Bats also carry parasites like fleas and ticks which are known to be vectors of disease.

Another big problem of having bats in your house is bat bugs. These are tiny bugs very similar to bed bugs. They live on the blood of bats. But, if bats are living in your home, these bugs can spread to the living spaces and begin biting people. If the population gets out of control, the need for bug control can be necessary.

Here are some pictures of the damage we have seen from bats.

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Professional Bat Removal

If bats have made their home in your house, they need to be removed professionally and safely so that they can re-enter their natural habitat and benefit the ecological system as they were intended to do. Georgia P.A.W.S provides bat removal services that protect your home and your family from the dangers of bats, but also respect the ecological benefits that bats provide by returning them safely to their natural habitat.

Bats are federally protected, very territorial and difficult to get rid of. They have to be removed from structures through a process of exclusion, not extermination! This process has to be performed by licensed professionals, like us at Georgia P.A.W.S.

Georgia P.A.W.S’ bat removal services begin with an inspection of your home or business to determine how the bats are entering, where they are roosting and any areas that may need repairs (check out our Attic Cleanup & Restoration page for more information on repairs.)

Bat Attic Cleanup & Restoration

 

Next, all possible entry points, such as the construction gap (a gap left by the builder between the roof decking and fascia board), the exhaust vents, gable vents, and the roof vents are sealed in some fashion to prevent re-entry. A single opening is left unsecured and a bat valve or bat curtain is installed to allow the bats in the house to get out but not get back in.

To better understand the bat removal process, check out our pictures below. The first image shows an example of an entry hole, where bats were entering the home to roost in the attic. The next picture shows a bat valve that Georgia P.A.W.S placed over the hole that allowed the bats to leave without letting them get back in.

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Below are pictures of a bat curtain, a technician sealing a chimney, and sealing gaps.

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Once all of the bats have been removed, Georgia P.A.W.S returns to remove the bat valve or bat curtain and performs any necessary clean-up and deodorization.

Bats can be a very messy pest to have in your home. They defecate and urinate everywhere, causing serious odor problems and damage to the structure of the attic.

If it was determined that bats contaminated the insulation in the attic, Georgia P.A.W.S can also provide a service for insulation removal and re-installation. And we can spray a product in the attic called DSV to disinfect and deodorize. For more information on that process, check out our Attic Cleanup & Restoration page.

Bat Attic Cleanup & Restoration

Georgia PAWS Bat Removal

Bats may sometimes be referred to as “flying rats,” but they only really pose a problem when they get into our homes.

Although the presence of bats benefits our ecosystem, they do present a level of danger and difficulty for homeowners. The small size of bats allow them to burrow into our roofs and live there. This not only compromises our home’s structure but also endangers our health as some species of bats are known rabies carriers.

Humane trapping and removal are necessary so that we don’t harm the bats and disrupt the ecosystem — while still keeping you and your home safe.

When you find your Atlanta home sheltering colonies of bats, it is best to call for a humane bat removal specialist like Georgia PAWS Bat Removal.

Identifying the Bats in Your Attic

There are more than 1,400 bat species around the world. Out of those, 16 bat species call the state of Georgia their home.

Bats may roost and forage in suburban or agricultural environments but largely stay in caves and trees. Three species of bats are commonly found invading Atlanta houses and buildings. These are:

The Little Brown Bat or Myotis lucifugus

The Big Brown Bat or Eptesicus fuscus

The Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat or Tadarida brasiliensis

Knowing what type of bats are in your home can help specialists enact quick and human animal removal procedures.

Here are quick profiles about these three bat species:

Little Brown Bat

The little brown bat has glossy tan to dark brown fur on its back and gray to buff yellow hairs on its belly. It has dark brown to black medium-sized ears, which are slightly rounded and curved.

As its name suggests, this species of bats have a small size. Excluding the tail, their bodies only grow to around 1.8 to 2.3 inches long, or 46 to 58 mm, and weigh less than half an ounce or less than 14 grams. They have a comparatively large wingspan of eight to 11 inches (20 to 28 cm).

Although little brown bats live primarily in caves and mines, they are also often found inside house attics and other man-made structures, especially during the summer.

Their diet mostly consists of flying insects, particularly mosquitoes, flies, moths, and spiders. These bats also often forage near the water.

Due to its small stature, the little brown bats face many predators. These include weasels, rats, snakes, and domestic cats. However, the greatest threat to their population isn’t a predator but a disease.

The white-nose syndrome (WNS) has significantly declined the bat population in Atlanta and other parts of Georgia since 2013.

Big Brown Bat

Big brown bats look similar to their cousins, the little brown bats. They also sport glossy brown fur on their backs and pale or lighter fur on their bellies.

One of the main physical differences of big brown bats, besides their size, are their small rounded ears. Their bodies grow to around four to five inches (10.3 to 13 cm) in length and have an average wingspan of 12 to 16 inches. These bats also weigh around half an ounce to 1.2 oz or 14 to 21 grams.

Big brown bats mostly live around the forest, taking shelter in hollow trees, caves, ledge crevices. Those that take up residence in man-made structures often stay in old mine shafts and our Atlanta homes.

The diet of these bats are also similar to their smaller cousins. Big brown bats also mainly feed on flying insects like flies, moths, and beetles.

As for predators, owls may prey upon big brown bats in flight. Meanwhile, pups still in their nests or who have fallen down face dangers from snakes, racoons, and cats. The white-nose syndrome, wildlife disruption, and wide-spread pesticide use also pose threats to the big brown bat population.

Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat

The Brazilian free-tailed bats are the largest of the three common house-occupying bats in Atlanta. They have a wingspan of 11 to 14 inches (29 to 35 cm) but only weigh a maximum of half an ounce or 11 to 15 grams.

The name comes from their visibly protruding tail membrane. Their coloring is similar to both little and big brown bats — a darker upper fur covering and a lighter belly. As for their ears, while also rounded, they are noticeably broader than the two earlier species.

Brazilian free-tailed bats are also insectivores, meaning that they mainly feast on insects — particularly moths and beetles. They mostly live in caves, tree hollows, and mine tunnels but are also dubbed as “house bats.”

Aside from pesticide use and wildlife destruction, large birds such as kestrels, red-tailed hawks, and barn owls threaten the bats’ population. Opossums, raccoons, and snakes also prey upon this type of bat.

Colonies of this species that live in the Southwest U.S. may migrate to Mexico for the winter season. However, Brazilian free-tailed bats in Atlanta and other cities in Georgia stay throughout the whole year.

Signs You Need Pest Control Services for Your Georgia Home

Take note that all three of common Atlanta bat species can carry rabies and transmit parasites. Once these bats take shelter and roost in your attic, it is best to immediately call Georgia PAWS Bat Removal services for humane animal removal.

Here are some signs you may be sheltering colonies of bats in your house:

Bat droppings: Seeing bat droppings, also called guano, often around your windows, doors, and your attic is one of the most visible signs of bat issues. Unlike rat or mice droppings, which are solid and not particularly smelly, bat droppings resemble powder and smell like ammonia.

Chirping and scratching: If you hear chirping and scratching noises inside your walls and up in your attic, you may need to call pest control right away.

Oil or grease residue: Like rats and mice, bats’ skin produces an oily or greasy residue that accumulates on their fur. When they fly in and out of gaps in your roof, window, or chimney, they leave grease stains around the area.

Ceiling stains: As they stay inside your attic, bats can damage your insulation and cause urine and droppings to stain your ceiling. Damaged insulation may also lead to more moisture buildup and mildew growth, which can also mess up your ceiling.

While most animal removal or pest control services provide genuine results, not all do so humanely. Keep in mind that bats are still beneficial to the environment, despite the harm they pose to your home and family.

For human bat control and pest control, contact Georgia PAWS Bat Removal.

Our experienced team will help you solve your bat problems as swiftly and humanely as possible.

Bat Control 101

Proper bat control is necessary for the safety of the bats and maintenance of the surrounding wildlife. Bat control procedures should not only be humane but also follow federal and state laws.

Legalities and Restrictions in Georgia

As per our state laws, intentionally capturing, killing, and harming bats are illegal. This restriction applies not only to the three common types of house bats but to all 16 bat species found in Georgia.

Out of the 16 local bat species, five are tagged as species of concern within the state. The Indiana bat and the gray bat, meanwhile, on the list of federal and state endangered species.

Risks and Dangers of Bat Problems

Bats do a lot of good for our environment, acting both as insect control and flower pollinators. It’s a different story when these bats get inside our homes and other buildings, though.

Here are some of the risks and dangers of house-dwelling bats:

●     A colony of bats inside your home increases the possibility of rabies exposure.

●     A large accumulation of bat droppings produce an ammonia-like smell and may contaminate your ceiling insulation.

●     Bat droppings may also corrode metal and rot metal, which may lead to instability and a potentially fatal ceiling collapse.

●     Additionally, bat guano serves as a breeding place for disease-carrying microorganisms.

●     Bats may also carry parasites, such as fleas, mites, and ticks that can invade your home.

Bat Removal Season

Bat issues can happen to any home at any time of the year. However, many bat control services, including our Georgia PAWS Bat Removal team, conduct bat exclusions during the early spring or late autumn months.

Spring is ideal for bat removal as it coincides with their return from hibernation or migration. Meanwhile the fall months are when bats leave for hibernation.

Bat exclusions are also generally avoided from April to July in Atlanta and other parts of Georgia. Bat pups are often still too young during these months and may get trapped and killed inside the house.

Natural Attic Bat Repellents

DIY bat removal is generally frowned upon as it may harm the animals and yourself. Still, there are natural bat repellents that may help your bat problems.

The easiest way to lower the population of your house bat colony is to seal up any visible holes and cracks leading to your roof or ceiling.

There are other natural bat repellents that may help smoke out the bats hiding in your attic or deter them from foraging in your yard. These include:

●     Setting up a decoy bat house

●     Minimizing food sources, like fruits and vegetables, in your garden

●     Placing bright lights around your house

●     Hanging aluminum foil or mirrors outside in places that allow it to reflect light

●     Using essential oils, particularly cinnamon, eucalyptus, and peppermint to deter bats

Benefits of Humane Bat Removal and Repellents

Humane bat control and the use of natural, non-lethal bat repellents allows you or professionals to capture and release bats back into the wild.

Bats are important members of the Atlanta wildlife. As bats’ diets are mainly insects, they serve as a natural pest control for mosquitoes and other pests. Bats also act as pollinators for as many as 300 species of fruits.

Additionally, humane bat control and removal ensures laws are upheld. As per the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, it is illegal to kill bats — including those that have invaded your Atlanta home.

Humane bat removal ensures no poison, pesticides, or decayed bat bodies would linger in your home and potentially harm your family or pets.

The Georgia PAWS Bat Trapping Method

Georgia PAWS Bat Removal offers not just animal control but full exclusion work. We make sure no other colony of bats roosts in your home in the future.

Our expert and licensed animal control team performs extensive checks around your Atlanta home. We identify possible entry points, like cracks, holes, or construction gaps, and seal them to prevent other bats and pests from entering.

We leave a single entry point unblocked just in case any animal is still inside the house or structure. However, we ensure your home is protected by placing an excluder trap to catch bats and other animals that would pass through.

Georgia PAWS Bat Removal also specializes in repairing bat-caused damage after enacting humane removal procedures.

Our seasoned staff can perform the following for your home:

●     Roof Repair

●     Drywall Repair & Painting

●     Soffit Repair

●     Fascia Repair

●     Repair/Replace Siding

●     Exterior Chimney Repair

●     Attic Restoration

●     Deck Building

If you suspect any bat-related dangers inside your Atlanta house, contact local bat control services right away. Prolonging bats’ stay in your home can worsen health and structural problems.

Georgia PAWS Bat Removal can help you scope your attic for bat infestations and ensure their humane and immediate removal. Schedule an appointment with our crew by filling out our online contact form.

For any service inquiries or unanswered bat-related FAQs, you may also call Georgia PAWS Bat Control.

Call us today for a thorough inspection!

Call Us at 678-313-3781