Where ever the human aversion to bats originated, it's fairly embedded in most cultures. Discovering one in your home is never a pleasant experience. In fact, it's down right creepy.
That's too bad, as bats are quite useful creatures. Without them, there would certainly be more insects, likely making insect-carried disease more prevalent. Bats are prime predators of crop pests as well, a role that saves farmers money and allows them to use less pesticide. Also, many gardeners swear by the use of bat guano (droppings) as fertilizer; it's been used around the globe for centuries. Some bats fertilize plants, and some tropical foliage is completely dependent on them.
But, even though they are useful creatures, bats and humans probably shouldn't be living together. Bats are natural carries of pathogens, including rabies. Bat guano is hazardous to humans if not handled properly, and large quantities are considered hazardous waste by the Environmental Protection Agency.
For those who've discovered bats roosting in their homes, there are a few things to know.
First, ridding your home of a bat is one thing. But exterminating more than one, or a colony, is something completely different. Bats are a protected species. Killing one may be forgivable, but exterminating a colony can be punishable by law.
If you find a single bat in your home, it's likely a youngster lost from its colony looking for a way out. Avoid contact with it or trying to catch it. Turn off the lights in your home and open a door to the outside. The bat will soon find it way outside. If not, wait until it lands, and place a small box over it. Slip a piece of cardboard between the box and the surface where the bat is located and release it outdoors.
You may want to check around your home semi-annually, particularly near the eaves of your roof, and soffit and fascia for potential entry points, and secure them if you are sure there are no bats already in your home. Seal even the smallest spaces; bats have pliable bodies that allow them to slip in where you think they could never fit. Such entry points are common in all homes, particularly older ones.
Next, if you suspect bats have moved in on you, check logical roosting places during the day. Look into the reaches of attics, crawl spaces and secluded areas with a flashlight for resting bats. Or, sit outside your home at dusk, and watch your roof for exiting bats, and count how many you see. Once you're sure they're freeloading, get your phone book and begin searching for a pest removal expert specializing in bats, squirrels and other small creatures, and set up an appointment.
A professional will inspect where the bats are living, and will determine potential entry and exit points. He or she will likely use plastic netting, or a plastic tube to create a one-way valve, which allows bats to leave your home, but not re-enter. Depending on the time of year, you may have to wait to install the valves. Bats often roost inside man-made structures during maternity periods, from about May to August. Young bats do not fly immediately, and mature animals often take turns leaving the nest to feed. Installing one-way valves at the wrong time could trap newborns in your home. Also, if bats are discovered in winter in colder areas, homeowners may need to wait until spring for installation.
Once bats are expelled from your home, you might consider installing a bat box on your property to provide a new roost. If you find bats occasionally roost on your porch during the evening, they're likely digesting a recent meal of insects (bats can eat up to 2,000 mosquito-size insects a night). Try attaching a Mylar balloon or some strips of aluminum foil that can move in the breeze to discourage bats with full tummies.
Always remember that bats are wild animals, and should not be handled. Any potential bites or interaction, particularly with young children, the disabled, or anyone else unable to fully communicate a bat's activity, should be immediately reported to a doctor. If possible, capture the animal for analysis.
Regardless of our cultural conditioning to think of bats as frightening blood-suckers, most play an important role in the ecosystem, and are a blessing to those who strongly dislike insects. Understanding their habits and respecting their purpose allows humans to co-exist with one of the world's only flying mammals.