“HOLY BUG INFESTATION, BATMAN!”

Did you know bats carry blood sucking bat bugs?

Bot on Roof
Every year we receive calls from homeowners who allow bats to co-exist in their houses many years because they like bats and feel the bats really are not causing a problem as far as they  can see.

Western Bat Specialists likes bats as well – and we are always happy to see people becoming more and more informed about how absolutely beneficial these little creatures are.  However, it is not beneficial to have bats colonizing in the attic and walls of your home.  Besides the matter of odor, and the growing deposits of guano and urine, bats carry an “ectoparasite” (a parasite that lives on the outside of the body, such as skin and hair) – the blood sucking bat bug.

Upon seeing the bat bug,  (approximately 2/8″ – 3/8″ in size) many people think it is a bed bug.  In fact, it is a close relative, and is indistinguishable to the naked eye.  Bat bugs feed on bats, and travel to new locations by clinging to their “bat mobile” as it flies about.  If the opportunity exists, it will also feed on humans.  It can survive more than a year without a meal!  When it feeds, it punctures the skin and will feed on the host for up to 15 minutes.  Hmm… this is not a bug that you really want setting up a nursery in your home!

We have received calls from folks plagued with bat bugs and they can be hard to eliminate.  They can move into mattresses, bedding, and bed frames – just like bed bugs.  They live in cracks and crevices, even drapery folds!  As with everything, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Let us exclude and bat-proof your home professionally and humanely – sooner rather than later.

Call us today!

For more information on Bat Bugs Click Here

Affordable Bat Removal

Bat removal is generally very affordable. At Western Bat Specialists we know that bat removal is something that most people have not figured into their budget!  Because of that, we would like to make your bat problems as easy to remedy as possible.

We have been known for years to be one of the most reasonably priced bat professionals around, and many times are told we were the best price quote that someone received for bat removal. We try to keep your costs down by coming to your home prepared to do the work on our first visit.  That way we can save the expense of an inspection fee.  We do need to charge an *inspection fee if you just want or need us to look at your home to determine the situation with your bats and what needs to be done to fix it.  However, if you allow us to do the work on that initial visit, we will waive the inspection fee and only charge for our work.  And you can be assured that we will not charge an exorbitant fee for the exclusion; in fact, ours are some of the most fairly priced fees in the business.  Your exclusion may be much less than you expected! Let us remove bats from your home or business. You will be happy that you used Western Bat Specialists!

Our customers also have the satisfaction of knowing they can call us in the future with a question or a need because we have been in the bat business for many years.

We also accept major credit cards.  If you like, even if your bat removal was very affordable, you can make payment arrangements with our office – without interest!

Bat problems rarely go away on their own.  So even if you are reluctant to schedule the work now, be aware that as time goes on the problem usually becomes a more costly one.  The bat colony will continue to grow, and can lead to odor issues with your home.

*If you would like a free estimate, before we come to your home, that can also be done!  We need for you to take very good pictures of your home and up-close pictures of the suspected problem areas and e-mail them to us.  We will get back to you promptly with an estimate to remedy your particular bat issue.  Please take 2 – 3 pictures standing on the street or away from your house in order to capture the whole house, it’s elevations and the terrain around it.  Then take some pictures of the problem bat areas as well as you can.  You do not need to get on a ladder.  Stand on the ground and use your zoom or simply get as close as you can.  Once you have the photos – you can upload them to us on our “Contact” form.

Can I use Bat Repellant?

Is There A Bat Repellant?

bat repellent

Western Bat Specialists offers the safe removal of bats without chemicals and sprays

It is not uncommon for bats to be found hanging under covered decks and porches.

They may be resting temporarily, or they might like it there and stay much longer.  Some folks aren’t too concerned, but for others, particularly if the bat is near the front door, their droppings (guano) can become a nuisance.  Homeowners, tire of sweeping guano away (see “Will Bat Guano Make Me Sick)”, and don’t like the idea that their nocturnal friend could accidentally fly in the house with the opening and closing of the door.

Is there is some sort of bat repellant that would encourage their bats to quit hanging there?

There are many so-called solutions floating around, most with limited success.  We have heard of home owners using balloons, streamers, Sonar, mothballs,  fake owls (bat’s natural predator) devices that emit noise, the list goes on without proven success.

Although we don’t know of any sure-fire 100% successful bat repellant, there is something that can be tried that seems to have much better success than any other.

At a hardware or pet store, or on the Internet, look for “powdered cat and/or dog repellant”, usually in a small canister.   (The Internet may prove to be a much easier way to find the repellant).  Do not get repellant in an aerosol form; it is not as successful.

After getting the powdered repellent, add water and make a strong “tea” out of it.  Put this repellent into a spray bottle.  When the bat or bats ARE NOT hanging in their spot (usually when they have left to hunt in the evening), spray this mixture around the area they hang.  They do not like the smell of this and that can be enough to encourage them to move on.  In addition, you will need to place a very bright spot light aimed up at he area the bats are hanging at.  Your porch light is not enough. Do this for about 3 to 4 nights in a row. Monitor for droppings (see “How Can I Tell If It Is a Mouse Dropping or Bat Guano?“), if they continue repeat the above steps.

We hope this method proves to be successful for you!

 As always, we want to humanely and safely work with our bat friends.  If you are unsure whether your bats are just hanging out, or whether they are actually living in the structure of your home, call us at 1-888-550-2287 (BATS) and we can make that determination.

If you have a lot of bats, you probably will need an expert in bat exclusion – and that is us! Give Western Bat Specialists a call – we are always happy to discuss bats with you!

Netting:  We can install Stealth netting. This has proven successful in many areas and this is installed in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Contact us today and we can sending you pictures and give you information on our netting and if this is the right option for you!

 

# Netting Information: It’s aesthetically appealing: Stealth-Net is black and the netting is composed of very thin, ultra-strong strands of polyethylene twine. It’s a long-lasting, 100% solution. Stealth-Net is manufactured using the most advanced technology in the world, and has been developed to withstand a wide range of environmental conditions. Polyethylene is the most ultraviolet (UV)-resistant netting material available, and Stealth-Net has extra UV stabilizers added in its raw materials. It’s humane: Stealth-Net provides a harmless and impenetrable barrier against bats. Stealth-Net can completely exclude bats from structures by sealing off openings like archways and other unenclosed areas, using stand-off brackets and weighted cable.

 

Bat Removal

“Aaaah…there’s a bat in my home; can you come and perform a bat removal?”  This is a phone call that we receive quite often at Western Bat Specialists.  And the good news is: you can easily do a bat removal yourself!  It can be quite simple.

Bats often get into homes – sometimes through doors left open in the evening, perhaps while bringing in groceries.  Also, if open windows are without screens, or have ill-fitting screens, they can enter.  And unfortunately, at times, people attempting to bat proof homes seal them into attics and walls (see how to detect bats in attic).  When they are sealed into structures inadvertently, they become desperate to find an exit and sometimes discover a way into the home.

If you are certain the bat has had no contact with anyone, just allow him back outdoors. If you can isolate him to one room by closing doors to the rest of the house, do so.  Then open doors and windows to the outside. (We recommend doing this during the day; if done at night there is the risk that another bat could fly in.)  Once you have opened doors and windows, the bat can feel the air current and fly out.  However, if it does not, it can be captured and released.  When it is resting on the wall or floor, cover it with a box and slide a flat piece of cardboard under the box to nudge the bat inside.  Keeping the flat piece over the box, take your captured bat outside and gently shake it onto a bush, wall or tree.  (We always suggest that you wear leather gloves when doing this.) The bat can take flight once it has its bearings.  DON’T put the bat on the ground.  Many bats cannot take flight from the ground, and they are vulnerable to predators there.

If the bat appears sick or injured, we can refer you to a Wildlife Rehabilitator.  Or you can call Animal Control or the Public Health Department.

Whatever you do, don’t panic.  Rest assured, the bat wants out of your home as much as you want him out!  He will perform his own “bat removal” if he is possibly able!

Bats Inside? How To Detect Bats

Are bats inside your home or building?  How do you detect bats?

You’ve called us.  You think you have bats inside, but either have only occasionally seen some, or not yet seen them at all.  Maybe you’ve seen some droppings, (please look in our “Common Questions” tab for info about how to determine the difference between a mouse dropping from bat guano, and how to detect if it is fresh or old) or maybe you’ve heard some little chirpy noises in the ceiling or wall. Could it be bats inside?

With over two decades in the bat business, we will know how to tell whether you have bats inside or not, and also where they are entering or exiting.  But, if there is any doubt, or if you are curious, you can do a little detective work yourself.  Go around the exterior of your home or building.  Look for guano on the ground, or on decks and porches, perhaps stuck on windows.  Or there may be some white urine staining on the siding or windows.  Then you can serve some “Watchman Duty”.  Stand at different ends of your house outside around sunset.  It helps if more than one person does this, but if it is just you, then circle around.  The difficultly is, it depends on what species of bats you may be hosting as to what time he is going to make his nightly exit.

Western Pipistrelle bats and the slow flying Silver-haired bats make their exit before sunset.  Mexican Free-tailed bats exit right at sunset, and usually in a nice column or group.  Our very popular Little Brown bats exits at late dusk.  The Big Brown bats makes their debut about 20 minutes after sunset.  The little California Myotis bat, the Townsend’s Big-eared bat and the cute and creamy Pallid bat leave about an hour after sunset.  The Pallid bat will continue to go in and out through the night.  Fringe-tailed bats leave 1 – 2 hours after sunset; the huge Western Mastiff bat waits for complete darkness.  And the mostly solitary guy, the Hoary bat leaves very late, 2 – 5 hours after sunset. He can make audible chattering and hissing sounds, and may like to hunt around your outdoor light.

If you prefer, you can also get out right around dawn in the morning and catch some erratic flying guests coming in for a landing and back to bed.  Now you know if there are bats inside and how to detect bats.

 

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