If I See a Bat During the Day, Does it Have Rabies?

Posted on July 21, 2020 by virginia

When it comes to the Rabies virus, one of the most tell-tale signs that an animal is infected is if it is active during the daytime even though it is a nocturnal species. Daytime behavior is often seen in several rabid nocturnal species of wildlife, including raccoons, possums, and bats. In fact, bats are a prime known carrier of the Rabies virus, but that doesn’t mean that all carrier bats are actually infected. So, does seeing a bat, or some other type of nocturnal animal, out and about during the day a sign that it is infected with Rabies? What else could it mean?

Continue reading to learn the answers to these questions, as well as, the common signs of a rabid bat, and what you should do if you ever one.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Bats and Rabies

As mentioned, bats are known carriers of the Rabies virus, but not all bats that are carriers are infected. In fact, some carriers of Rabies never become rabid, nor show signs of the illness. Also mentioned, one of the most common signs that a bat has Rabies is if it is outside and awake during the day. Bats are nocturnal mammals, meaning they are active from dusk to dawn, rather than dawn to dusk like humans.

So, when a bat is out and active during the day, it can be deemed as odd behavior. But this does not mean it has Rabies. A bat exhibiting these kinds of behaviors might be ill with something else, dying, or injured. It could also be an adolescent bat still honing its flying skills, or lost and trying to find its way back to its colony. See our blog, “What You Want to Know About Bats and Rabies” to learn more about bat behavior and the Rabies virus.

Additional Signs of a Rabid Bat:

⚠ The Bat is on the Ground – Bats do not sit or lay on the ground, so if you see a live one on the lawn or grass, you can safely assume it is sick, perhaps with Rabies.

⚠ The Bat is Not Scared – Like finding a bat on the ground, if you can walk toward a bat, and it does not act scared or threatened, you should assume that it is ill.

⚠ The Bat Cannot Fly – If a bat is outside, or on the ground, and it does not fly away, even if you approach it, it is very likely that the bat is sick, and it could be rabid.

What to Do If You Find a Bat

Under no circumstances should you ever attempt to touch, trap, capture, harm, or kill a bat. Bats are not just known carriers of several transmissible diseases, such as Rabies and lice, they are also biters, and can break the skin if provoked. Furthermore, some bats are protected under federal and state law, so you are not allowed to tamper with them at all. Instead, contact a wildlife rescue company for emergency bat removal service. See our blog, “How to Remove a Flying Bat in the House” if you ever spot one indoors.

Where To Get Trusted Bat Removal and Control Service in Virginia

Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for safe and humane Virginia bat removal and control at the right price. Regardless of the size or scope of your bat abatement and cleanup needs, we have the experience and resources necessary to remedy your bat problem in no time at all. Our professionals are focused on safe and effective results, but more importantly, our client’s complete satisfaction. Contact us anytime for free estimates, advice, and assistance.

How to Make Non-Toxic Bat Repellent Spray

Posted on June 29, 2020 by virginia

In our previous blog, we discussed which products on the market are not recommended for controlling nuisance bats around your property. Although we gave you some advice on which spices you can use to ward off bats, it might help to learn a safe and effective recipe for a homemade, non-toxic solution that works effectively as a repellent against bats.

Continue reading to learn how to make this easy, humane, and non-toxic bat repellent spray using simple ingredients found around the house!

What You Will Need:

What To Gather Up as Supplies

You will need a clean, unused plastic spray bottle. You can purchase these for a few dollars at any local convenient store or department store. You can also find them at home improvement stores, dollar stores, craft stores, gardening stores, and online vendors. After you get yourself a plastic bottle, you might want to opt for some safety gear, such as rubber gloves or eye goggles. These will protect your skin, eyes, and mouth from anything irritating in the repellent.

As for ingredients, bats hate strong-scented spices, such as cinnamon, menthol, spearmint, peppermint, eucalyptus, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and garlic. Most of these items can be found in your pantry or spice cabinet. Otherwise, simply visit your local grocer and gather them up there.

How to Make and Apply Your Repellent

It is important to know that this repellent can irritate your skin, eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. This means it can also have the same effect on pets. So before using your solution, be sure you have a plan in place to protect your pets from the areas where the repellent has been applied.

To make your repellent spray, simple combine water with whichever ingredients you have chosen, and transfer the solution into your plastic bottle. Now just don your protective gear and get started with the application process. Here’s how:

Think about the areas where the bats are becoming a bother. Perhaps they are taking over your log pile, inhabiting a common tree on your property, or some other area that needs to be bat-free. This is where you want to apply the repellent.

When spraying the repellent, be sure to apply it 6 to 8 inches away from the surface to ensure even distribution. Continue spraying around the area, and then move onto a perimeter application.

Take a walk around the larger area that needs to be excluded of bats. Using the spray, create a boundary, and then remember where the boundary is with land markers. This will help you keep pets away from the area.

Permanent Bat Control Solutions

To truly get rid of nuisance bats, you may need more than just a repellent. Typically, environmental modification strategies must also be combined with a repellent to resolve your nuisance bat problem at its root. By abating bat activity on and around your property, you can further protect your outdoor pets from bat confrontations. Certain environmental changes coupled with professional bat exclusion services are the best strategies for abating bat activity. Contact a licensed Virginia bat removal and control company in your town for humanae bat exclusion advice and assistance.

Who to Call for Virginia Bat Control at an Affordable Price

Call Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for safe and humane bat removal and control assistance in Old Dominion. We serve all of Virginia and its surrounding areas. We offer 24 hour bat removal, as well as, numerous residential and commercial bat exclusion services, such as bat cleanup and restorations for bat damages. We even provide insurance work! Contact us today for a free estimate.

Products That are Not Recommended for Bat Control

Posted on June 22, 2020 by virginia

If you have a nuisance bat problem on your property, there are good ways and bad ways to manage the situation. Bats, although quite bothersome to homes and buildings, are actually critically important to our Eco-system and local economies. For this reason, bats are protected by law, and it is not legal for someone to trap, harm, kill, or even keep a bat as a pet, unless they are authorized by the state.

This can be quite confusing since property owners can go online or to certain retailers and purchase products that are advertised as “bat pest control.” The problem with these products, besides the fact that they are mostly ineffective, is that they are inhumane and unsafe. If you have a nuisance bat problem on your hands, please avoid these dangerous and often times, inhumane products advertised for bat abatement.

Continue reading to learn which products you might find on the market that are not good for bat removal and control, as well as, a terrific homemade recipe for an effective and safe bat repellent spray.

Bird Netting

If you ever come by a pest control worker that recommends setting up bird netting to catch and remove bats, do not take their advice. Bird netting is incredibly inhumane for bats, as it can damage their wings, cause orthopedic injuries to their tiny hips and forearms, and even cause womb injuries to pregnant female bats.

Furthermore, bird netting can be very dangerous for other types of wildlife, as well as, dogs, cats, and even small children. It can cause strangulation, circulatory depravation, deep cuts and wounds, and more. These same principles apply to bird spikes, which are also inhumane and ineffective against bats.

Shock Track Systems

Similar to bird netting, retailers also offer products that deliver a small pulse of shock if a bird (or another flying animal) decides to roost on a ledge. These are called shock track systems, and although they are advertised to deliver a “harmless” shock, we still consider them utterly inhumane. Bats are not birds; they are mammals just like us! So, setting up a system that electrocutes them is wrong, even with the shock being physically harmless.

Pest Repellents

Most pest repellents on the market, whether in granule form or sprays, are usually toxic to both living organisms and nature. Not only are these generally ineffective, they are harmful to people, pets, animals, insects, trees, grass, plants, soil, underground water supplies, and more. It is never recommended by bat removal specialists to use such repellents on any kind of wildlife, especially bats. Not only will they not solve your problem, they will pose several health risks to you and your loved ones.

See our blog, “A List of Household Spices to Keep Bats Away” to learn how to make a safe and humane, non-toxic bat repellent recipe that you can make from scratch, and for just a few dollars!

How to Safely Get Rid of Bats in Virginia

Call Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for safe and humane bat removal and control assistance. We serve all of Virginia and its surrounding areas. We offer 24 hour bat removal, as well as, numerous residential and commercial bat exclusion services, such as bat cleanup and restorations for bat damages. We even provide insurance work! Contact us today for a free estimate.

A Species Comparison of Social Bats Versus Solitary Bats

Posted on June 9, 2020 by virginia

Here in Virginia, there are around 16 species of bat found around our local ranges. Common species include the Gray bat, Indiana bat, Hoary bat, Silver-Haired bat, Red bat, and of course, the Virginia Big-Eared bat. All Virginia bat species, and more, can be classified as either social or solitary. But their classification largely depends on their natural behaviors.

Continue reading to learn the difference between social and solitary bats, including which local bat species fit into each category.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Solitary Bats

Solitary bats are just that: bats that keep to themselves. They do not settle and roost in colonies. Instead, they live alone and migrate south to warmer areas for the winter. Some species, however, are known to hibernate for the winter, rather than migrate. Generally, solitary bats take up shelter in trees along riverbeds, or in rock crevices. Common species of solitary bats here in Virginia include the Hoary bat, Red Bat, and Silver-Haired bat.

Solitary Bat Species:

➞ Silver-Haired Bat
➞ Red Bat
➞ Hoary Bat

Social Bats

Social bats are the exact opposite of solitary bats. They are colonists, meaning they take up shelter as groups, and hibernate in their chose shelter for the winter. Most often, social bats are found roosting in hollowed trees, abandoned mines, buildings, and even residential settings, like attics and wall voids. Common species of social bats include the Little Brown bat, Big Brown bat, Tri-Colored bat (formally known as Pipistrelle), Evening bat, Indiana bat, and Northern Long-Eared bat. Of these species, the Indiana and Evening bat are listed as endangered.

Social Bat Species:

➞ Indiana Bat
➞ Northern Long-Eared Bat
➞ Gray Bat
➞ Southeastern Bat

Social bats that are not typically found in Virginia: The Little Brown Bat, Big Brown Bat, Tri-Colored Bat (Pipistrelles), and Evening Bat.

Putting Up With Nuisance Bat Problems in Virginia?

Everything You Want to Know About the Virginia Big-Eared Bat

Posted on May 29, 2020 by virginia

The Virginia Big-Eared bat is one of three federally-listed endangered species of bat in Virginia. In fact, it has been categorized as endangered since 1979 by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. There are several interesting facts about the Virginia Big-Eared bat species, adding more reason to keep these precious critters protected and preserved.

Continue reading to learn more about the Virginia Big-Eared bat, and what to do if you suspect you are having nuisance bat issues around your property.

Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus

The Virginia Big-Eared bat is part of the Animalia kingdom, Chordata phylum, Mammalia class, and Chiroptera order. Their scientific name, Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus, is derived from their genus (Corynorhinus), species (C. townsendii), and subspecies (C. t. virginianus).

What They Look Like

This special species is distinguishable by its large ears, which can reach lengths of 2.5 centimeters or more. When resting, their ears reach back to half the length of their body! In addition to their most distinguishable trait, these mammals have long, soft, brown fur that ranges in shade depending on their age. Weighing and average of 7 to 12 grams (0.25 to 0.42 ounces), it is one of the largest Microchiroptera species in its range. With rounded muzzle and elongated nostrils, the Virginia Big-Eared bat can grow to 98 millimeters (3.85 inches) long by adult hood.

How They Act

The VBE bat usually mates in the fall and winter. Females actually store the male’s sperm until they begin ovulation, which generally occurs in late winter or early spring. Females have a gestation period of 3 months, and give birth to only one baby, called a “pup.” The pup stay with the mother for up to 8 weeks, in which time they are fully-developed and capable of flight. These bats generally roost in caves, where they also hibernate for the winter. Because they prefer it, they are mostly found in mountainous limestone caves surrounded by forest with oak and hickory trees.

Where They Live

Although they are called the Virginia Big-Eared bat, they are not just native to Virginia. They are also found in states like Kentucky and North Carolina. The Virginia Big-Eared bat species is not a migratory one; they stay in their caves all year, whether hibernating or not. They only leave to hunt for food at night, which they do with the help of their amazing sonar abilities called echolocation. Bats see quite well, opposed to common belief, and only use their echolocating abilities to better dart and dive for insects. They are nocturnal, so it also improves their night-time navigational skills.

Nuisance Bat Problems?

It is vital to contact a licensed bat control company for safe, humane, and non-lethal bat abatement services. You should never attempt to trap, touch, harm, or kill a bat under any circumstances. This is also important since you never know if it is a federally-protected species.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control Near You

Call Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 when you need prompt and professional Virginia bat removal and control you can afford. They serve all of Virginia, including Richmond, Petersburg, Short Pump, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and all of their surrounding areas.

How Bats Make Babies

Posted on May 18, 2020 by virginia

From male courtship and mating behaviors, to female reproduction, bat pups, and more, the way bats make and raise babies is quite fascinating. Continue reading to learn interesting facts about male and female bats, and how they create bat families.

Bat Courting and Mating

It is quite common for male and female bats to roost together in large numbers. However, male bats are competitive when it comes to mating, so they tend to define their own mating territories within these large roosts, or at least close by. Mating season begins in fall, and male bats know exactly what it takes to find a partner. They display various courtship rituals and behaviors to attract female suitors. Mostly, they emit series of high-pitched vocalizations that travel far and wide within the roost. They are also known to do courtship dances by flapping their wings and moving about. Male bats will even mark their potential partners, or their territory, with their own glandular excretions.

Bat Reproduction

Bats are mammals, and have uterine pregnancies just like most other mammals do. What’s interesting is that bats reproduce very slowly compared to many other mammals in the world, as they generally give birth to one single offspring per year, usually in the spring. Some bats have 2 or more, but it is not common. The gestation period can be short or long, lasting anywhere between 40 days and 6 months! That is because some female bats delay the fertilization process of her eggs by storing the male’s sperm until spring.

Female bats birth their young hanging upside down. Once they emerge, the female bat catches their young and places them inside her pouch. Bat babies are referred to as pups, and get their nutrition by nursing their mother’s milk. In many species of bat, females in a roost will come together and raise their young together as a group. This provides added warmth and protection. By mid-simmer, between 6 and 8 weeks, bat pups are 95% grown and fully-independent. By this time, they can leave the roost to learn to fly and hunt for insects.

Bat Colonies

A large population of bats is known as a colony. Bats are not solitary in nature, and tend to remain in large groups with multiple roosts. Bat colonies can range from a handful of bats to millions, depending on where you are at in the world. Bats are also one of the longest living mammals of their size, living up to 40 or 50 years in nature. Unfortunately, many bat populations are being wiped out by land over-development and white nose syndrome.

Nuisance Bat Control

It is important to protect your home and property from nuisance bat colonies. Although bats are incredibly important to our planet and economies, they can be highly destructive. They can even pass along several infectious diseases and parasites to both people and pets. If you suspect that bats are a problem around your area, contact a local bat control company for assistance.

How to Safely and Quickly Stop a Nuisance Bat Problem in Virginia

Call Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 when you need prompt and professional Virginia bat removal and control you can afford. We use safe and humane methods to deliver effective 24 hour bat control for residential and commercial properties throughout Virginia. We serve all of Virginia, including Richmond, Petersburg, Short Pump, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and all of their surrounding areas.

Learn the Primary Scientific Classifications for Bats

Posted on May 8, 2020 by virginia

Although many people fear them, bats are unusual and incredible creatures, as well as the second largest order of mammals. They play a vital role in our Eco-system, and even help control nuisance insect populations in the spring and summer. Their significant contribution to our environment means they deserve a much better reputation. Perhaps by learning some interesting facts and information about bats, you too can change your opinion and fear them no more.

Continue reading to learn some basic facts about bats, including their collective taxonomy and scientific classifications.

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is an American partnership of federal agencies intended to provide steady, dependable information on the categorization and nomenclature of biological species. In terms of bats, they have categorized the taxonomy of mega and microbats as follows:

Kingdom = Animalia

Phylum = Chordata

Subphylum = Vertebrata

Class = Mammalia

Order = Chiroptera

Suborder = Megachiroptera (Megabats) & Microchiroptera (Microbats)

Family = There are a total of 16 families in the suborder Microchiroptera. In the Megachiroptera, there is only one family called the Pteropodidae, also known as flying foxes and Old World fruit bats.

Genera = There are a total of 187 bat genera’s.

Species = There are at least 950 known bat species, but there are likely as many as 1,200 species or more.

More Fun Bat Facts!

Bats are mammals. What’s even more shocking is that bats are the only mammals in the world that are capable of true flight. Other mammals, like the flying squirrel, have the ability to leap, jump, soar, or float over great distances, but bats are the only ones who can actually take and maintain flight just like a bird.

Microbats use echolocation to help hunt their prey and navigate around in the dark; however, they are not blind. In fact, microbats can see quite well (and hear quite well), but they use their bio-sonar abilities to navigate their course, as well as, dart and dash for prey at a more precise rate.

Megabats, or fruit bats, do not have Echolocating abilities. They have big eyes and great vision, so they have no need for echolocation. To learn more about bats, see our blog, “5 Educational Facts About Bats” and really get to know this incredible mammal!

How to Safely and Quickly Stop a Nuisance Bat Problem in Virginia

Facts About White Nose Syndrome Disease in Bats

Posted on April 27, 2020 by virginia

White Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a devastating illness that has killed millions of hibernating bats all across the nation. Continue reading to learn more about White Nose Syndrome, and how it affects wild bat populations.

White Nose Syndrome (WNS) Facts

White Nose Syndrome happens to be one of the most misunderstood bat diseases. This fatal malady gets its name from the distinguishable white residue that grows on the snouts and wings of infected bats during hibernation. The residue that grows on the noses of bats is actually a fungus caused by the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Back in 2010, new evidence proved that a fungus called Geomyces destructans can also cause WNS in bats.

Discovery and Range

The initial documentation of White Nose Syndrome occurred in 2006 near Albany, New York. The following year, several nearby caves were recorded to have WNS infected bat colonies. From there, the deadly disease continued to spread across the country, as well as Canada. As of October of 2017, the fungal pathogen has been detected in 33 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces. Furthermore, the actual disease has been confirmed in 31 of the 33 U.S. states, and in all 5 Canadian provinces.

So far, Canadian White Nose Syndrome has killed more than 7 million bats, and has successfully wiped out entire colonies. Some of the most at-risk bat species include the Indiana bat and the Gray Bat. These species are federally-endangered, and at a higher risk of becoming extinct due to this disease. Common species affected by WNS include the Big Brown bat (ptesicus fuscus), Eastern Small-Footed bat (Myotis leibii), Gray bat (Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), Little Brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), Tricolored bat (Perimyotis Subflavus), and the Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis).

Searching for a Workable Solution

The extensive rate of mortality is devastating, and unfortunately, there is no cure. Research laboratories and state and federal biologists continue to investigate and study these WNS deaths, in hopes for a solution. In fact, back in March of 2012, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced 8 grants totaling approximately $1.6 million to continue the examination of white-nose syndrome, and to find ways to manage it.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control Services

Call Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for humane bat removal and control in Virginia. We serve all of Old Dominion, including Richmond, Petersburg, Short Pump, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and all of their surrounding areas, with 24 hour bat removal, as well as, numerous residential and commercial bat exclusion services, such as bat cleanup and restorations for bat damages. We even provide insurance work! Contact us at 804-729-9097 to request a free estimate, anytime.

FAQS About Virginia Bat Removal and Control

Posted on April 10, 2020 by virginia

Bats are exceptional helpers in the surrounding Eco-systems when it comes to insect control; but when it comes to homes and businesses, they are not something you want to have around. Not only are bats capable of causing tremendous structural damage inside and out, their presence can pose several health risks to both people and pets.

Unfortunately, bat infestations are quite common since they can gain access inside somewhere through a hole as little as 3/8th of an inch wide. So many homes and buildings are susceptible to bat infestations. And once they are inside, the problems really start to get serious. They can get through crumbling mortar, dry rotting wood, attic vents, exterior cracks, and more. For these reasons, it is vital to address a bat infestation problem right away by contacting a local and trusted Virginia Bat Removal and Control Company for non-lethal bat abatement service.

Before you contact a wildlife control specialist, continue reading to review the answers to some of the most common questions people have about bat removal and control. This can help you understand what to expect, and help you make the best decisions regarding your property’s wildlife protection needs.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Bats are Blind; Right?

Microchiroptera, or microbats, use echolocation to help hunt their prey and navigate around in the dark; however, they are not blind. In fact, microbats can see quite well (and hear quite well), but they use their echolocation abilities to navigate their course, as well as, dart and dash for prey at a more precise rate. Megabats, or fruit bats, do not have echolocation abilities. They have big eyes and great vision, so they have no need for echolocation.

Will a Bat Attack?

Due to movies and television, many people fear that bats will attack or bite them. The truth is, they CAN if they want to, but most often, they WON’T. Bats are more afraid of us than we are of them, and it is very unlikely for bats to attack a person or other animal. However, there are exceptions. Bats that are ill, injured, mothering, and/or aggravated, may defend themselves upon provocation by biting or scratching. If you have a bat in the house, simply leave it alone to avoid any trouble. If you give it space and let the professionals take it from there, you should not be at risk of a bat bite or attack.

Can I Catch a Bat and Kill It?

Most states forbid anyone from harming, trapping, or killing bats without the proper permits. Bats are a vital part of our Eco-system; they should never be exterminated unless they are infected with a fatal or infectious disease, or injured beyond the point of rehabilitation. Only licensed wildlife rescue organizations have the resources and permissions to put a sick or injured bat down. Never attempt to touch, trap, harm, or kill bats. Not only is it likely illegal in our state, it is highly unethical and inhumane. See our blog, “State Laws Surrounding Wild Bats” to learn more.

What Do I Do if I Find a Bat in the House?

If you discover a lone bat in your house, your first step should be to isolate it from the rest of the family and your pets. This means closing off the room it is in, but leaving open a window for an exit point. For example, if you find a bat in your bathroom, shut the bathroom door so that it cannot move to other areas of the home, but leave the bathroom window open so the bat can let itself out. Wait 12 hours for the bat to leave. If it is still there, contact a licensed bat removal and control company. If you discover a bat colony living in your home, or suspect that you might have bats in the attic, contact a licensed bat removal and control company for professional inspection and service.

Where Can I Find Trust Bat Removal Service in Virginia?

Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for safe and humane bat removal and control at the right price. Regardless of the size or scope of your bat abatement and cleanup needs, we have the experience and resources necessary to remedy your bat problem in no time at all. Our professionals are focused on safe and effective results, but more importantly, our client’s complete satisfaction. Contact us anytime for free estimates, advice, and assistance.

Which Bats are Most Common in the Western Parts of Virginia?

Posted on March 31, 2020 by virginia

Here in Virginia, our state is home to many species of bats. In fact, we are home to the famous, Virginia Big-Eared Bat, which was officially appointed the prestigious title of our state bat more than 14 years ago, and continues to be an admired and protected species, both locally and nationally, to this very day.

But when it comes to the Western parts of the state, bats are more abundant since the border is near so many cave systems and dense forests. From Roanoke to the West side border, a long list of bats can be spotted, including native species, federally-endangered species, and even just the occasional visitors.

Continue reading to learn more about them all!

Bat Species in Western Areas of Virginia

The Western parts of Virginia are known for their beautiful and abundant cavernous systems, making it no surprise that many bat species live in the region. Some of the most common bats found in Western parts of the state include Little Brown bats, Big Brown bats, and of course, the Virginia Big-Eared Bat. But there are plenty more fascinating bat species that are spotted in West VA caves, forests, riverbanks, and even abandoned mines!

Virginia Big-Eared Bats

Virginia big-eared bats range consists of eastern Kentucky, eastern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and northwestern North Carolina. As for habitat, they are mostly found dwelling in the limestone caves of western Virginia since they provide the proper temperature and humidity levels vital to their survival; but they are also commonly found in heavily vegetated oak-hickory or beech-maple-hemlock forests.

Little Brown Bats and Big Brown Bats

Little Brown bats (Myotis Lucifugus) and Big Brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) are often confused for one another because they live in the same areas and look very similar. See our previous blog, “The Difference Between the Big Brown Bat and Little Brown Bat” to learn all the interesting facts about these two incredible species, and what sets them apart.

Endangered Species

There are 3 particular species of bat in Virginia that are Federally-endangered, and 1 that is state-endangered. All of them are currently protected by the Endangered Species Act. This act strictly prohibits anyone from attempting to “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect, or attempt to engage in any such conduct” with any endangered or threatened species of wildlife, including bats. The bats that are on this list include the Gray Bat (Myotis grisescens), Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalist), Virginia Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus), and Rafinesque’s Big-Eared Bat (State Endangered; also known as the Southeastern Big-eared Bat).

Occasional Visitors:

? Rafinesque’s Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii)
? Seminole Bats (Lasiurus seminolus)
? Gray Bat (Myotis grisescens)

Trusted Virginia Bat Removal and Control

Call Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for humane bat removal and control assistance you can trust. We serve all of Old Dominion, including Roanoke, Richmond, Petersburg, Short Pump, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Virginia Beach, and more. We offer 24 hour bat removal, as well as, numerous residential and commercial bat exclusion services, such as bat cleanup and restorations for bat damages. We even provide insurance work! Contact us today for a free estimate.