Raleigh, NC Bat Removal Company

If you are looking for a Raleigh, NC bat removal company, you have come to the right place. Bats are winged mammals in the order Chiroptera and play an important role in our ecosystem. While they are very beneficial animals, bat control becomes necessary when guano accumulation from infestations creates health concerns. These flying mammals cannot be relocated during their maternity season. A single bat can consume 1,000 insects an hour, which is why humane control methods should always be used. Trapping is never recommended and is illegal. Bat exterminator services that kill bats are not permitted. At Triangle Wildlife Removal, we do not kill or exterminate bats. We specialize in exclusion methods that allow them to leave while preventing their return.

Understanding Bat Activity in the Raleigh Area

Bats are active at night during the spring, summer, and fall throughout the Triangle area. Around central North Carolina, including Chapel Hill and Durham, they will be active in winter on mild or warm evenings but will quickly return to hibernation during extreme cold. Many property owners throughout North Raleigh, near Falls Lake, and in the Glenwood South area put up bat houses to keep these beneficial animals nearby while avoiding infestations in their homes.

Common Bat Species in Raleigh

The most common species in the Triangle area are big brown bats, little brown bats, and Brazilian free-tailed bats. These flying mammals are normally found in houses in gable vents, between chimneys and flashing, and behind shutters. The sight of droppings is usually a key indicator that you need a professional Raleigh, NC bat removal company along with cleanup services for their droppings.

Bats are frequently found in older concrete and brick commercial buildings high around the roofline where settling has occurred. This is common in downtown Raleigh buildings along Fayetteville Street and in historic neighborhoods like Oakwood and Mordecai. The normal signs of a bat colony include rub marks at entry points, rustling and chirping sounds in voids, large accumulations of droppings (guano), and the odors associated with colonies.

North Carolina Bat Maternity Season Restrictions

The beginning of May through the end of July marks the time frame when female bats are raising their young – called pups. Commission biologists urge homeowners to avoid closing up holes or installing eviction devices during this time, as young bats, like other mammals, depend on their mother for survival during the first few weeks of life.

“If a homeowner installs an eviction device or covers up the holes that bats have used to get into the house, female bats may not be able to get to their young after a night of feeding, and the young bats would starve to death,” said Jessie Birckhead, the Commission’s wildlife extension biologist. “If any bats are sealed inside, including pups that can’t fly, they will search for a way out and may find their way into the homeowner’s living space.” – North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Main Bat Control Service Areas in North Carolina

• Raleigh
• Durham
• Apex
• Cary
• Garner
• Chapel Hill

Professional Bat Exclusion Methods

All bats have state and federal protection, even those causing nuisance situations. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission strictly regulates bat removal. Females form maternal colonies and typically have one set of twins during late May through June. During this time, removal is prohibited. The “blackout period” for maternity season runs from May 1 through July 31 for the entire state.

The juvenile bats, both little browns and big browns, can fly in about three weeks. The exclusion process can then begin. Bats are not trapped but excluded from their roost. They are allowed to leave but prevented from returning. The difficulty lies in sealing all entrances larger than 3/8 inch on the structure. This is also called animal exclusion or bat proofing.

Bats are very persistent and will search all available openings around a roof area for new entry points. These entries can usually be found by grease marks or droppings. Gable vents, soffits, and gaps are the most common problem areas when dealing with bat infestations. Properties near wooded areas along the Neuse River Greenway or backing up to Umstead State Park often experience more bat activity due to nearby natural habitats.

Common Entry Points Requiring Bat Proofing

Houses and buildings may need to be sealed in the following locations:

• Between window drip caps (tops of windows) and siding
• Between door drip caps and siding
• At joints between window frames and siding
• At joints between door frames and siding
• Between window sills and siding
• At corners formed by siding
• At sills where wood structure meets the foundation
• Outside water faucets or other breaks in the exterior surface
• Where pipes and wires penetrate the ceiling below an unheated attic
• Between porches and the main body of the house
• Where chimney or masonry meets siding
• Where storm windows meet the window frame
• Where the wall meets the eve at the gable ends of the attic
• Where walls meet the eves anywhere on the structure. Source

Complete Bat Control Solutions

Our Raleigh, NC bat removal company is highly skilled and methodical in exclusion, prevention, cleanup, and disinfecting of structures affected by bat activity. We also mount and install bat houses when needed to keep roosts available nearby. This allows you to maintain the insect control benefits of having bats on your property without the problems associated with them living in your home or building.

Health Concerns Related to Bat Guano

Bat droppings can contain histoplasmosis spores, a fungal infection that affects the lungs. When dried bat guano is disturbed, these spores can become airborne and cause serious respiratory illness if inhaled. This is why professional cleanup with proper protective equipment is essential. Our technicians follow strict safety protocols when removing contaminated insulation and sanitizing affected areas in homes throughout Brier Creek, Cary, and surrounding communities.

Our Bat Removal Process

The professionals at Triangle Wildlife start by inspecting your property for signs of a bat infestation. Some signs include chirping sounds, brown and black stains near entry points, and droppings or guano near places like attic vents and gable ends. After assessing the situation, our experts decide how to treat your specific case.

This may include exclusion work as well as teaching home and business owners how to prevent further incidents. Our bat technicians are highly skilled in safely moving these animals from your home, cleaning up their mess, and sealing entry points. With over 25 years of animal control experience serving the Triangle area, we know how to get bats out and keep them out.

Bat House Installation Services

Many homeowners throughout North Hills, Wakefield, and Five Points choose to install bat houses after exclusion work is complete. Bat houses provide an alternative roosting location that keeps these beneficial insect-eaters nearby without allowing them access to your attic or walls. Our team can recommend proper placement and install bat houses designed to attract and house local bat populations.

Comprehensive Wildlife Services

There are many bat removal companies providing wildlife control services in North Carolina and surrounding areas. We provide complete wildlife control for everything from attic cleanup and raccoon trapping to damage repair and animal exclusion. Humane wildlife methods are always used to ensure the well-being of the animals we work with. We are one of the longest-standing bat control companies in the area, with over two decades of local experience serving Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Garner, Chapel Hill, Durham, and anywhere within 150 miles of the Triangle area in North Carolina.

Understanding White-Nose Syndrome

White-nose syndrome is a disease affecting hibernating bats. Named for the white fungus that appears on the muzzle and other parts of hibernating bats, WNS is associated with extensive mortality in eastern North America. First documented in New York in the winter of 2006-2007, WNS has spread rapidly across the eastern United States and Canada, and the fungus that causes WNS has been detected as far south as Mississippi and as far west as Washington State.

Bats with WNS act strangely during cold winter months, including flying outside during the day and clustering near the entrances of hibernacula (caves and mines where they hibernate). They have been found sick and dying in unprecedented numbers in and around caves and mines. WNS has killed more than 5.7 million bats in eastern North America. In some hibernacula, 90 to 100 percent of bats have died. Source

White-nose syndrome has significantly impacted bat populations throughout North Carolina. This makes protecting remaining bat colonies even more important. Our exclusion methods ensure that bats can continue to thrive in appropriate habitats while keeping them out of homes and commercial buildings along Capital Boulevard, Wade Avenue, and throughout Wake County.

If you need to remove bats from your home or business in Raleigh or anywhere in the Triangle area of North Carolina, call us today at (919) 661-0722!