How to Get Rid of Bats

Bats are the stuff horror movies are made of. However, bats are actually beneficial mammals that consume large quantities of insects, particularly mosquitoes. They can also be disease transmitters, so we don't want them sharing our living space. Bats are actually protected by laws in many locations, thus getting rid of them can be a sticky problem. Follow the steps below to get rid of a bat in your home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Excluder (window screen)
• Screen cutter
• Stapler and staples
• Small pieces of wood
• Caulk, steel wool and cement

1. Find where the bats are roosting and then look for the entryways, usually an attic, chimney, under shutters and siding, in roof tiles, soffits and eaves. A bat can get in trough an opening as small as 1/4-inch by 5/8-inch. Go out at dusk and observe where they are emerging.
2. Attach excluders over every opening. These devices allow bats to exit, but not re-enter. They consist of small pieces of window screen stapled over the opening at the top so the bats can push out to exit. After the bat exits, the excluder flaps shut and he can't figure out how to get back in.
3. Leave the exclusion screens in place seven to ten days to give the bats a chance to exit. This will ensure that you get rid of every bat.
4. Remove the screens and seal all the openings with caulk, cement, or steel wool or nail small boards over them.

Tips & Warnings

• Bats don't stay in cold climates during the winter. If you live in the north, make note of their entry points and wait until winter to go back and seal them. This will prevent a bat from getting trapped in your home.
• Bats will return year after year to their birthplace. Since they are very beneficial to the environment, you don't want to get rid of them completely. Provide them with an alternative house nearby.
• Don't handle a bat with bare hands. If someone is bitten by a bat, try to trap it and take it to the doctor with the person who was bitten.
• Don't seal openings until after late August in any climate or you may trap baby bats in your space. Bats are born during the summer and are not able to leave the nursery until they can fly. Mother bats will be very persistent in trying to get back inside if their babies are trapped in the structure.

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