How to Check for Bat Entry Spots
There are more than 1,100 species of bats on Earth. If you live in the northern United States, you may encounter little brown bats, while those in the southern part of the country are more likely to see free-tailed bats. Your home may have its own colony, or the bats may be using your home as a resting area during migration. Before you can get rid of them, you must identify their entry spots. Bats can squeeze through an opening as small as three-eighths of an inch. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Stand at one corner of the home about one-half hour before dusk. Station another person at the corner that is diagonal to yours. Watch the building carefully for bats leaving the structure, particularly chimney areas and the roof. Make a note of any possible entry points. Continue watching the building for about an hour after you see the first bat.
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Look for dark stains around the exterior and interior perimeter of your home. Bats cause these stains by rubbing against the entry points as they exit and re-enter. The stains typically consist of guano, oil and dirt.
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Turn on all of the lights in your attic or upper floor at dusk. Walk outside and inspect the perimeter for areas where you can see light shining through. These spots are also potential bat entry points.
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Tips & Warnings
Block bat entry points with a piece of plastic that overlaps the entry point by about a foot. Tape the plastic at the top and sides only. This allows the bat to escape, but it cannot fly back into the building.
Bat guano is brown or black. Each dropping is about the size of a grain of rice.
Bat guano contains no white matter. Any feces you find in your home that has white spots is from a bird, not a bat.
Never block potential bat entry points from May to September. Bats give birth during the summer and you may trap the juveniles inside. Baby bats cannot fly to escape.
References
Resources
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