How to Get Rid of Bats With Sonar

When bats have taken up roost in your attic or around your property, it can be a real nuisance. To rid your home of a bat problem, you could attempt to seal the holes that bats are using to enter your home while they are out feeding during the night, but this may result in actually sealing a few bats inside of your home. You could use poison to kill the bats, but this is harmful to the bat population and could be harmful to children and pets--not to mention it will leave you with an attic full of dead bats. Instead, take a tip from nature. Moths use sonar-interference signals to escape becoming a bat's next meal. You too can use an ultrasonic device to interfere with the bats' sonar to safely and effectively remove the pests from your home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ultrasonic bat repellent device

1. Obtain an ultrasonic bat repellent device, which can be purchased easily online. They can be as inexpensive as 30 to 40 dollars, or priced into the hundreds of dollars. When choosing a device, there are a few things to consider. Ultrasonic waves only have an effective area of about 25 to 30 feet away from the sound source. Devices with paper speakers may have an even less effective range of only about 10 feet. To ensure bats react to the sonar signals, you may want to invest in a high-quality repellent device featuring multiple, ceramic-based speakers to spread the sound out over a greater area.

2. Place your ultrasonic device as close to the roosting area of the bats as possible. Place the device during the night when bats are out feeding. Its signal will interfere with the bats' ability to navigate and possibly prevent them from returning at all. Ultrasound repellent devices operate by creating a frequency well above the range of human hearing that is specifically calibrated to interfere with a bat's ability to navigate using its natural sonar, or by simulating distress calls. If the bats sense a distress call, they will not roost in an area for fear of danger.

3. Engage the ultrasound transmitter as instructed in the owner's manual included with your device. While these devices work well, they are not always 100 percent effective when it comes to removing bats. If bats have been roosting in an area to the point that they have produced offspring, the simulated distress signals of the ultrasound device will merely sound like the normal cries of infant bats. Ultrasound also has difficulty penetrating surfaces, leaving hidden nooks and areas behind walls out of its effective range.

4. Leave the device to run until all bats have ceased returning to your home. It is recommended you allow the device to run after the bats have left to prevent them from returning. If bats are common in your area, you may want to leave the device running permanently.

Tips & Warnings

• Bats typically migrate in the winter to seek warmer shelter. This provides an opportune time to install an ultrasound sonar deterrent device to prevent the bats from returning in the spring and summer. Once you have eliminated the bats from your home, consider locating and sealing the holes in your attic or crawlspace that the bats enter through. A simple method is to install chicken wire over small spaces and cracks in walls and ceilings. If you are still experiencing a bat problem after using a sonar device, consider contacting your local pest control agent or a bat removal specialist. They will safely remove the animals and bat-proof your home.
• Be sure to clean up all bat droppings from the area where the animals have been roosting. The animal wastes could carry disease that could make you or your family ill.

References

• Bat Control
• Some Moths Escape Bats by Jamming Sonar : NPR
• Bat control device

Resources

• Purchase bat repellent device and more information on ultrasound bat repellent systems
• More information and alternatives to controlling a bat problem