Entry Areas

Bats can enter an area of 3/8th an inch. Which means, they can locate extremely small holes in order to enter your home. The attic is a popular area due to it has enough space to produce a colony and it is dark with no kind of traffic. Another area bats like to hide is behind shutters.

Social Structure

Of the 15 species of bats in the tri state area, there are 3 endangered species of bats: Grey, Indiana, and Virginia big eared. Some species of bats do fly south for the winter while others hibernate. Bats normally nest within a pack instead of being alone. While living in large groups, bonds form through sharing food and grooming each other. One male bat mates with many female bats. The young is born in the spring and each female bat will only birth one young pup.

Characteristics

Bats can live more than 30 years and can fly at speeds up to 60 mph. They have bad vision due to their eyes are very small and poorly developed. Therefore, they use an inaudible high pitched sound to locate their food. Almost all bats are nocturnal so they start to eat when dusk falls. Bats play a very important role in pollinating by eating fruit or nectar and they can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour.

Concerns

Bat feces (guano) produces a lot of ammonia gas, which is poisonous, that can make humans and pets sick if inhaled for an extended length of time. The fungus that lives in the soil where there’s a large amount of bat poop can cause histoplasmosis. Humans can get it by breathing in the airborne spores and can be life threatening. Bats do have large teeth that will puncture the skin if they are handled improperly. This is a way to contact rabies from them.

What can be done?

It all starts with an inspection. Contact us at 804-867-7184 or 301-848-5048.We offer quality services to Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland clients at reasonable prices. Our courteous staff have the professional tools and experience necessary to help with all your Animal and Pest Control needs. Call today to get in touch with our staff and to learn more about what we have to offer.