Why You Need a Professional to Get Rid of Bats

Posted on June 16, 2022 by virginia

Nuisance bats can cause quite a disturbance. Not only are they capable of producing a massive amount of damage and destruction to homes and buildings, but they can also pose several health and safety risks to both people and pets. There are hundreds of reasons why bat extraction is reserved for trained professionals only, but the top three reasons involve risk, damage, and the law.

Continue reading to learn more about these top three reasons why bat removal is not something you can do yourself, and where to start when you need to get rid of bats.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control Company 804-729-9097

Licensing

The primary reason why it is important to hire a professional to provide wildlife extraction and abatement services has to do with the law. Most states make it illegal to possess, injure or kill a bat. Furthermore, bat habitats are also protected under Federal and State laws. A person must retain specialized state permits and licenses to work with wildlife, including trapping, transferring, and relocating.

It is important to choose certified professionals who adhere to all industry-accepted standards and best practices, as well as operate within all local, state, and federal laws that govern wildlife. They are trained to avoid non-target animals, and never use poisons, repellents, fatal devices, nor environmentally-damaging or toxic products.

Safety and Health

Bats are known carriers of several infectious diseases, viruses, and parasites. All of these contagions are transmissible to both humans and pets and can pose several safety risks. Professional bat abatement specialists retain the proper training, equipment, and resources to work with nuisance bats without harming themselves, the bat, nor your property. They can also identify signs of residual hazardous left over by bats, and suggest or implement solutions for decontamination, which brings us to the 3rd reasons why you should always trust a professional for bat removal.

Cleanup and Restoration

Bat infestations are not easy to clean up after. Not only can leave behind a large amount of structural damage, but they also create an unsanitary mess with their droppings. In fact, bat guano is known to produce mold spores that can cause a harmful respiratory illness in humans. Mold spores become airborne and get inhaled by occupants of the home or building, thus leading to respiratory complications, possibly an illness known as Histoplasmosis.

Dogs and cats are also susceptible. Bat damages render a property structurally unsafe and highly unhygienic, which is why they require professional intervention to replace and repair insulation, floorboards, roofing, shingles, siding, electrical wiring, and more. A licensed Virginia bat removal company generally offers cleanup and restoration service, and might even be able to provide homeowners’ insurance claim work.

Go With a Pro to Get Rid of Bats

For these reasons and more, it is vital to get rid of bats as soon as you are aware they are a problem, and even more important to entrust the job to a licensed professional. Choose a bat removal company in Virginia that has the credentials to prove they are dependable and skilled. Look for licenses, experience, and past work.

Do you think you have a nuisance bat problem in or around your house? Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for comprehensive bat removal and control services in Richmond and all surrounding Virginia areas, including Fairfax County, Norfolk, and Manassas. We serve residential and commercial clients.

Summer is Bat Proofing Season

Posted on June 30, 2021 by virginia

Right is the time to really think about animal-proofing your house against nuisance bats. If you live near wooded or forested areas, or a large body of water, you are even more prone to bat activity around your property. Between the months of April and August, bats look for shelter in order to have their babies. Usually, that shelter winds up being residential attics! So, avoid being intruded by bats this season.

Use these bat control tips to ensure your home is fully protected all year long!

Protect Your House From Intruding Bats

Bats in the Attic

Although bats are Ecologically important to our surrounding environment and overall economy, they are terrible as house guests. When bats intrude our attics, crawl spaces, and wall voids, they can cause a long list of structural damages. Extensive drywall and insulation damages are just the tip of the iceberg, as their activity also destroys floorboards, stains ceilings, and causes terrible, lingering odors. Furthermore, bats are known carriers of several infectious diseases and nasty parasites, such as Rabies, Leptospirosis, lice, bat mites, ticks, fleas, and more.

How to Get Rid of Bats

When it comes to getting rid of bats, you never want to attempt the job yourself. Whether you have single bat in the house or a full colony of bats in the attic, your job is to contact a licensed Virginia bat removal company for professional assistance. If you are simply experiencing heightened bat activity around your property, and wish to abate any bat infestations or external property damages, you can implement some bat control methods on your own.

Do-It-Yourself Bat Control Tips:

► Locate Possible Entry Ways

Most bats can fit through a hole as small as 3/8ths of an inch! So, you can imagine just how easy it is for one to access your attic, siding, roof shingles, or other areas of your home. Take a walk around the outside of your house and look for holes, gaps, openings, and any other possible entry points for a bat.

Be sure to seal up anything you find, and then call a professional bat control company for more permanent solutions. They use top quality materials like caulk, mesh sheeting, stainless steel wool, and expanding foam insulation to seal out bats and keep your home looking nice.

► Implement Routine Inspections

After you are sure your home is sealed and protected against bat intrusions, it is wise to stay on top of routine inspections, both inside and out. Regularly check your attic and crawl space areas for signs of bats in the house. Also inspect the outside, looking closely at your siding, roofing, and nearby trees for signs of bat activity.

► Install Motion-Detection Technology

Bats will startle away at the eruption of bright light or noise. If you suspect that bats are coming too close to your property, or some particular area of your property, you could be successful keeping them away by installing motion-detection lighting or alarms. Now, if you have neighbors nearby, this might not be the most viable option, but this method can be useful in small applications.

Are you ready to get your home or business protected against bats? Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for comprehensive bat removal and control services in Richmond and all surrounding Virginia counties.

You Might Also Enjoy:

The Most Common Signs of Bats in the Attic
Can I Get Rid of Bats Myself?
Common Signs of Bats in the Wall

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Why Bats are Scratching Around Inside Your Walls

Posted on March 9, 2020 by virginia

We mention this all the time, but we cannot mention it enough: Virginian bats are very tiny and can squeeze through an opening as little as 3/8^th of an inch! So, what does this mean for your home? It means that bats can easily access your wall voids to gain access to other parts of the home, such as the attic, if certain precautions are not taken before prime bat infestation season. If you hear scratching and squeaking noises coming from the inside of your walls, you can safely assume it is bats.

Want to know why they are so noisy? Continue below to learn what bats are doing inside those walls of yours, and what you can do to get rid of them for good!

They’re Looking for a Comfortable Temperature

Just like us, bats want a comfy and cozy environment to live in. They do not want a space that is too hot nor too cold. For this reason, it is common behavior for bats to rise and lower within the walls in search of a comfier climate. The noise you are hearing is the resulting scuffling of bats moving around.

They are Lost and Disoriented

Within a wall void, there is very little light, and everything looks the same above and below. For this reason, bats within walls can become disoriented, and as a result, lost from the rest of their colony. This causes a lot of noise since they are working hard to move about and find the location of their peers.

They are Baby Bats

Baby bats are generally born between February and May, so if your walls are making a lot of noise during this time, it could them. Before pups learn to fly, they crawl and wiggle around just like human babies do. This crease noise, but so does their yearning for mothers’ milk.

They are Just Interacting

When you hear bats in your walls making noises, it could just be them interacting and being bats. Bats are nocturnal, so they are active between the hours of dusk and dawn. If you are hearing these noises overnight, you can chalk it up to bat conversation.

How to 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.

How to Help a Bat on the Ground

Posted on November 29, 2019 by virginia

Not only are bats nocturnal in nature, they are generally very scared of humans. So, if you come across to bat on the ground, especially in the middle of the day, it is a blatant sign that something is wrong with the bat. For this reason, there are several safety precautions that you must take if you are considering helping the bat.

Continue reading to learn exactly what you should do if you ever find a grounded bat around your property.

Causes for Grounded Bats

There are many reasons why bat might be alone on the ground. One of the most common reasons has to do with illness. Bats are common carriers of the rabies virus, and one of the telltale signs of being infected with rabies is a backwards biological circadian clock. Basically, when a nocturnal animal is out during the day, it could be a sign that they are rabid or at least infected with rabies.

Another common cause of grounded bats is injury. A bat might’ve injured its wing and therefore, incapable of achieving flight. In other cases, a grounded bat is simply the result of a baby being abandoned or lost from its mother. In most cases, the mother comes back for the baby bat because they only have one per season. However, it is also common for mothers to entirely abandon their pup in the case that it is ill. Sometimes, I bat is simply tired and need to just take a rest.

What To Do For a Grounded Bat

The most important consideration you need to keep in mind when helping a grounded bat is personal safety. Under no circumstances should you ever attempt to attach or harm a bat. For this reason, it is important that you don yourself with the proper protective gear including thick work utility gloves that come up to the elbows, as well as a facemask. You also need a shoe box or some other type of similar container, as well as a soft cloth. You will not need to lead, but you will need some sort of sturdy stationary card.

First and foremost, give the bat a few hours to see if it’s just resting. It might take off and fly away soon. If it is still there after 6 to 8 hours, you can proceed with the following steps.

Start by segregating all other people and pets from the bat. Lock up your dogs and cats inside the house and tell your children to stay inside with them.

Next, put all of your protective gear on and slowly approached about holding your shoebox and lid. Slowly place the box on top of the bat and then using your stationary card, gently slide the bat inside the box.

Place a soft cloth inside of the box in the corner for the bat to feel safe and comfortable. Take the box with the bat to a faraway, safe habitat, such as a woodland area near a body of water.

Place the box on top of something high and leave the bat there. Eventually it should crawl out or take off. If it is sick, nature will simply take its course and the bat will become one with the ecosystem once again.

Or You Can Opt for Professional Bat Removal

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.

How Did Bats Get in the Attic?

Posted on November 22, 2019 by virginia

Have you recently discovered a roosting colony of bats in your attic? If so, there are many steps you must take to have the bats removed safely, and then reverse all of the mess and damages. But first, you might be asking yourself how bats got into your house in the first place? Continue reading to learn the possible entry points of your home that bats could have used to gain access to your attic, and what you need to do to get the process of bat removal started as soon as possible.

Bats in the Attic? Call 804-729-9097 Now!

Bats are Very Small

The species of bats native to Virginia are very small. In fact, they are so small, they can fit through an opening as tiny as 3/8ths of an inch! That is basically the thickness of a nickel. Their small stature aids them in finding access to our homes. Anything from missing roof shingles to crumbling mortar can give bats a perfectly good entrance into the interior spaces of your house.

Common Bat Entry Points:

✦ Crumbling Mortar or Wall Plaster
✦ Missing or Loose Roof Shingles
✦ Torn Window Screens
✦ Cracks or Holes in Siding
✦ Rotted Window Seals
✦ Broken Door Frames
✦ Missing or Cracked Soffits
✦ Chimneys
✦ Attic and Roof Vents
✦ Broken Gutters or Downspouts

If your home has any vulnerable spots such as the ones listed above, it could be the entrance bats used to get inside your attic. Fortunately, all of these vulnerabilities can be resolved with proper bat exclusion services. A bat removal and control company will implement technological methods and strategies to seal up all openings and defects of your home’s exterior to prevent further animal intrusion. They can also use various other strategies, such as environmental modifications and biological applications, to add to your home’s security against nuisance wildlife.

Attic Damages Caused by Bats

Bats leave behind a large mess of bat droppings, urine saturation, property damages, and even bat bugs. There are many common damages bats are known to cause; and the larger the colony, the more mess you will be faced with following extraction. Not only are damages something to worry about, bats and bat droppings can present several serious health risks to both humans and pets. This makes cleanup and repair just as vital as the process of bat removal. A licensed and insured Indianapolis bat control company can provide the proper decontamination, sterilization, deodorization, and restoration your attic needs to recover from a bat infestation.

Safe and Humane Bat Removal in Virginia

Expected Bat Behaviors According to the Season

Posted on August 28, 2019 by virginia

On the big screen, bats are often portrayed as aggressive animals that fly around erratically and target humans for attack. But the reality is that bats are mostly peaceful mammals, and are not likely to come near you, let alone attack you, under any circumstances. If you live in an area that is highly populated with bats, it will help relieve any concern you have about potential bat dangers by learning about their predictable behaviors year-round.

Continue reading to learn how bats behave from season to season, and what to do to better control nuisance bat activity around your house.

Virginia Bat Removal and Control 804-729-9097

Spring

Bats in the spring are typically transitioning out of hibernacula (hibernation). During this time, bats are searching for a new roosting site that will be better suited for the warmer months ahead. These new sites will serve as maternity roosts for females and bachelor roosts for males. Interestingly, expecting mothers will often return to the very site they were born to have their bat pup! And you better hope it’s not your attic! Other common maternity sites for bats include hollowed trees, window shutters, roofs, siding panels, gutters, barns, and garages.

Summer

Once summer arrives, so have the baby bats, also referred to as pups. A mother bat gives birth to one single pup per year, usually around late May or early June. During this time, it is common for homeowners to see lone or dead young bats laying around. This is due to the fact that young bats learn to fly around 8 weeks, which usually occurs in July, and not all pups are good learners. If you see a live, lone bat on the ground in your yard, it is likely just taking a rest before it takes flight and tries again. If the bat is still there the next day, contact a Virginia bat removal company for safe assistance.

Fall and Winter

In the fall, bats are on the hunt for a new winter roosting site. Some bats migrate to southern points of the state, while others choose to search for roosts in the same community. Winter bat roosts often wind up being hollowed trees, abandoned mines, caves, and of course, our very own houses and buildings. Here, bats will enter into hibernacula, also known as hibernation or torpor. This hibernation period generally begins around mid-October, but can sometimes be delayed until the temperatures begin to remain under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Once in hibernacula, bats remain in a torpor-like state until spring emerges with warmer weather.

Professional Bat Control in Virginia

Sometimes bats can be a nuisance, even though they don’t mean to be. When this happens, trust a licensed and insured Virginia bat removal company for safe and humane bat abatement service at an affordable price. Contact Virginia Bat Pros today at 804-729-9097 to request a free estimate or information about our services, prices, and more. We look forward to delivering affordable and long-lasting solutions for your bat problems!

How to Remove a Flying Bat in the House

Posted on August 16, 2019 by virginia

Bats are quite sneaky and skilled when it comes to finding ways inside our homes. Most bats in the Virginia areas can squeeze through an opening as small as 3/8ths of an inch! Of course, sometimes they simply fly in through an open window or door. Regardless of how a bat got inside your house, you have one flying around now, which means that you must deal with the situation immediately.

Continue reading to learn a step by step guide on how to safely remove a fluttering, flying bat from inside your home.

Get Rid of a Bat in the House

The most important thing you need to know about removing a bat in the house is that, under no circumstances, should you ever attempt to touch, trap, harm, or kill a bat. Not only are bats protected under state and federal law, they are also common carriers of infectious diseases. Furthermore, bats are highly beneficial to our local ecosystems and economies, which means they should be protected and preserved at all costs.

So, in order to get rid of a bat flying around your home, use these steps:

The first step to removing a bat in the house is to protect your home’s occupants, including any exposed pets, such as dogs, cats, birds, and other pets that are not enclosed in cages. Do this by separating people and pets from the area where the bat is occupying.

Next, isolate the bat by closing all other windows and doors inside the home. Leave one window or door wide open in the vicinity of the bat. This will encourage the bat to fly out on its own. If the bat lands and refuses to move, or fails to fly out on its own, you can use the broom-stick strategy.

Grab a broom, or something else that is lightweight and long, and gently tap the wall or swoop the airspace next to the. Be very careful to not be too aggressive, or to touch the bat. Continue to gently tap or swish near the bat to encourage it to move toward the exit.

If the bat still refuses to move, or continues to fly around, your next step is to contact an emergency bat removal service. These certified professionals should respond within the hour and are fully equipped to safely extract the bat and relocate it to a safe and faraway habitat.

Need Emergency Bat Removal 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.

How to Properly Maintain Bat Houses

Posted on June 18, 2019 by virginia

In a previous blog, we discussed tips for adding bat houses to your property as an excellent way to safely support the local bat populations in your community. We talked about procurement and construction, installation and mounting, and much more. However, we have yet to provide tips on how to take good care of your bat houses! Fortunately, now is the perfect time to check on yours to ensure it is in good condition.

To get started, continue reading for some helpful tips on how to maintain a bat house.

What You Will Need:

If you want to take good care of your bat house, you have to start with the right supplies. Be sure to have thick utility gloves, safety goggles, face mask, flashlight, and a pair of scissors. You may not require all of these supplies, but they are the top-recommended ones to have on hand for bat house maintenance.

What To Do:

Never inspect or tend to a bat house when it is occupied. For this reason, it is best to save your bat house inspections for times when bats are not around, like during dusk or at night when they are out hunting for insects.

To take care of a bat house, you want to inspect it on a routine basis. Once a month during active seasons (February through September) is a good schedule to adhere to in the beginning. When you have been caring for your bat house for a while, you’ll learn its needs more, and can change the frequency at which you tend to it each month. In the winter, you will want to check it only once to ensure there are no broken seams in the construction of the house.

Upon inspection, make sure there are no broken seams that can let sunlight in through the roof. If there are cracks or openings, they will need to be repaired. Sunlight can disturb sleeping bats, and cause them a lot of stress. Roofing paper and roof repair sealant are best for such repairs. Be sure the screens, baffles, and interior partitions are intact too.

Also be sure to check for and remove wasp nests at the top of the bat house. They will be gray, honeycomb structures. Although wasps are not a problem for bats, the nests can get too big and disturb their comfort and ability to use the house.

If you see conical nests, these are likely hornets and yellow jackets. As aggressive insects, you will need to remove these nests and implement a preventive treatment to stop them from coming back. Do not use a chemical pesticide that can be poisonous to bats.

If you notice bats sticking out of the bottom of the house throughout the year, it could be due to overcrowding. In this case, you know it is time to add another bat house to your collection.

How to Deal With Nuisance Bat Problems

Why Choose Virginia Bat Pros

Posted on May 31, 2019 by virginia

Do you have a problem with nuisance bats? Do you have bats in the attic? Or have you noticed structural damages on the exterior of your property that point toward bat activity? Regardless of scope, there is an easy solution for nuisance bat abatement in Virginia. All you have to do is call Virginia Bat Pros for safe and humane bat removal and control you can trust!

Continue reading to learn why you should choose us for your bat abatement needs.

What We Do

Here at Virginia Bat Pros, our licensed and insured specialists provide safe and humane bat removal and control services in Central Virginia and its surrounding counties. We offer a long list of residential and commercial services, including bat removal, bat control, bat cleanup and restoration, inspections, estimates, and much more. We also provide emergency service and can even work with your homeowners’ insurance company to repair damages caused by bats.

How We Do It

We use a focused approach to locating the openings that bats use to enter your home, and then use the highest quality materials and resources to mend them, such as heavy gauge galvanized steel mesh screening, industrial caulking, high-density polyurethane foam, and more. When it comes to live bat extraction, we never harm, trap, or kill bats. Instead, we use a safe and humane method that works to move bats out and prevent their return.

Get In Touch Today!

With more than 10 years of hands-on experience and a long list of satisfied clients, you can trust that our bat removal and control services are safe, effective, and reasonably priced. We even work with a number of homeowners’ insurance companies to repair and restore properties damaged by bats. All of our work comes with a written guarantee, and we are happy to provide written quotes, anytime. Contact us by email, or call our main headquarters at 804-729-9097 to request written estimates and information from one of our friendly office managers.

When Should a Bat Be Captured and Tested for Rabies?

Posted on April 24, 2019 by virginia

Bats are known carriers of several infectious diseases. One of the most dangerous diseases that can be transmitted by bats is the Rabies virus. Upon contracting the disease, victims are left with no recourse, as there is no cure for rabies. For this reason, anyone or any pet suspected of being bitten by a bat should seek immediate medical attention.

Continue reading to learn what you should know about bats and rabies, including when bats should be captured and tested for this fatal virus.

The Virginia Department of Health

The Virginia Department of Health recommends to capture a bat and have it tested for the Rabies virus if one is ever found indoors where people and pets reside. Keep in mind that less than .5% of the entire bat population is actually infected with Rabies, however, it is still a risk to be cautious about. Treat all bats as if they have Rabies, and avoid them at all costs. At the same time, it is vital that you never attempt to harm, kill, or trap a bat under any circumstances. Some species are federally-endangered, and therefore, protected under law. See our blog, “Federally Endangered Species of Bat in Virginia” to learn which ones.

Recognizing Bats in the House

One of the most common signs of bat presence in a house, and often the initial once notice, is hearing strange noises in the walls or ceilings, such as squeaking, chirping, and chattering. You may also hear fluttering noises from their wings as they shuffle around their roosting area. Also, visually spotting bat guano (dropping) or actual bats, is another tell-tale sign that bats are inside. Additional signs include oil stains around entry points, foul odors lingering indoors, and yellow and brown-like stains on ceilings and walls. Read our blog, “The Top Three Signs that You Have Bats in the House” for help.

How to Capture a Bat

If you find a bat in the house, first get all people and pets to a guarded room. Your next step is to contact a local and licensed Virginia bat removal and control company for emergency bat extraction service. It might help to read our blog, “State Laws Surrounding Wild Bats” to understand why you should never attempt to tamper or interfere with bats under any circumstances.