North Carolina is known for its wildlife, and there is no denying that catching a glimpse of a wild animal outdoors is always exciting. However, it is also important to find ways to coexist without placing your house or family at risk of dealing with a wildlife invasion.

Bats tend to enter buildings out of the need to find a safe place for their nests. Unfortunately, an undetected bat infestation can quickly become a serious nuisance as their urine and droppings begin to break down the materials used to build your home.

Since bats play an important role in our ecosystem by eating as much as their body weight in insects every day, it is important to be careful when planning for bat removal. When you love bats but can’t have them inside of your residence, use this guide to plan for safe and effective removal.

Bat infestations often start out silent when there are only a few in your home. However, they can quickly multiply as your house becomes accepted as a safe place for bats to rest and raise their young. Being able to recognize the signs of a problem early allows you the best chances of protecting your house from bat damage.

Typically, bats choose high areas on buildings to roost, and you may find signs of an infestation in your attic, around your chimney or along the soffit and gable vents that you find along your roof. Once bats invade, you may hear scratching or squeaking noises that are very similar to mice.

It is also important to note that bats can squeeze through small spaces, and their entry points can resemble tiny holes that are about the size of a finger. Around these holes you may see smudges from where the bats body made contact with the building materials.

Although homeowners tend to want to get rid of bats in their house as fast as possible, you should be aware that North Carolina has regulations in place that protect bats during the pup-raising season. This falls between the months of May through July when mother bats are raising their young.

During this time, attempting to keep bats out of your attic with methods such as exclusion or eviction devices could lead to a mother bat being unable to get back to her nest. When this happens, the young may starve to death or become desperate enough to enter your home through other places such as the vents.

Fortunately, this season is fairly short. As soon as the protected months are over, you can begin working with your pest technician on evicting the critters and planning ways to prevent them from coming back.

Often, the best solution for a bat problem is to set up acceptable places for them to roost on your property. After all, bats are simply looking for a safe place to roost when they invade your home, and having bats around helps to keep insect populations down around your outdoor areas.

Bat houses must be installed high up at approximately 15-feet from the ground. Therefore, this is one idea that your pest control technician may suggest for bat control if you have large trees growing on your property or space for tall posts to be placed. This is considered a happy compromise that makes it possible to coexist with North Carolina wildlife.

The best way to practice bat exclusion is to have your home inspected regularly for potential entry points that must be sealed to keep bats out. Whether you suspect an invasion is already in place or want to prevent one from happening, allow our wildlife experts at Triangle Wildlife Removal and Pest Control, Inc. to show you the possibilities that exist for coexisting without sacrificing your home to your neighborhood’s bat populations.