Have you begun hearing rapid flapping noises, scratching noises or chirping coming from inside your attic? You might have a bat infestation. Bats are a common nuisance wildlife in Virginia, often roosting within attic spaces. Bats will get inside through tiny cracks in soffits and eaves, as well as through gable vents and uncapped chimneys. Once they get inside, they can cause significant damage to your home’s insulation by soiling it with their urine and feces, which will require removal and replacement. Bat droppings, also known as guano, contain spores that can spread the respiratory disease histoplasmosis when disturbed. Bats are also one of the most prominent rabies carriers. However, a licensed wildlife removal expert like Critter Authority can remove bats from your attic, as well as install a one way bat door/valve that allows the bat to leave, but not return.
Bats in Virginia
There have been 17 species of bat recorded in the state of Virginia, however there are only three types that are likely to make their home within a building: the Big Brown Bat, Evening Bat, and Little Brown Bat. While not endangered species like the Gray Bat, Indiana Bat and Virginia Big-eared bat, the attic-dwelling species are still federally protected, prohibiting the use of pesticides against these important creatures. Bats can actually be beneficial animals to have around, when they are not inside your home. Bats are nocturnal mammals that emerge at dusk, and they are highly insectivorous, which means they feast on insects, especially flying insects like mosquitoes. Bats can eat up to 1000 insects in a single hour, so they can greatly aid in keeping your yard free of bugs in the summer, which can contribute to making your yard a more pleasant place.
Bats in Virginia are also unfortunately in danger, due to the presence of white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), which can cause high death rates and fast population declines, with some scientists even predicting possible regional extinctions. Because of the threat this disease poses to bats and our ecosystem, these mammals must be protected. However, they are not a guest you want living in your home.
How Do Bats Get In?
Unlike rats, raccoons or squirrels, bats do not create their own holes to get inside. Instead, they will squeeze their way in through entry points that we have accidentally left open. Small cracks or holes in the soffit or in the roof itself will often let bats in, as bats can fit in spaces as small as a dime. Uncapped chimneys can often let bats in, as well as unscreened gable/louver vents and warped siding or roof shingles. Bats can get inside through the most unexpected places, like through the gaps of loose-fitting doors or windows, and through openings around plumbing, power lines or cable lines.
Insulation Damage and Histoplasmosis
The biggest reason why you would not want to let a bat in your home is due to the severe damage they can do to your insulation. Unlike raccoons or squirrels, bats will not chew or rip up your insulation to make nests. Bats hang upside down off wooden beams or other structures within your attic, urinating and defecating into the insulation below. When the insulation is soiled like this, it will require removal, sanitization of the affected area, and replacement with new insulation.
Histoplasmosis is one of the biggest hazards that a bat infestation poses. Histoplasmosis is a lung infection that can be caused by breathing in Histoplasma, a fungus that is commonly found within bird droppings and bat guano. Histoplasmosis is often misdiagnosed, as the common symptoms are also the symptoms of pneumonia. Symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, chills, headache, chest pain and body aches, and can appear anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks after you breathe in the spores. Thankfully, histoplasmosis is not transferable from person to person. Bats will often establish colonies inside attics where they can go undetected for months. An undetected bat colony left alone for months can create guano piles huge enough to collapse ceilings, and when these piles are disturbed or moved, it releases the Histoplasma spores in the air, which can make you very sick. Even small piles of guano can transmit histoplasmosis when handled, so always leave bat guano clean up and attic remediation to wildlife professionals with the proper PPE gear that have been trained to deal with bats.
Rabies and Bat Bugs
Another reason why you might not want bats in your home is their propensity to spread the Rabies virus. Bats are the leading cause of rabies deaths in humans in the United States, to the point that it is recommended that any bat that gets into living areas of the home be captured and tested for rabies. Rabies can be transmitted through even the smallest bites or scratches. Bats such as the Little Brown Bat are so small that their bites may go unnoticed. If a bat was present in a room with a baby or a person that was asleep, it is imperative that the bat be captured and tested for rabies, as the person could have been exposed to the rabies virus without knowing it. Any potential exposure to bats, if physical contact cannot be ruled out, is cause for testing the bat for rabies and vaccinating the exposed person.
Bats are also known to carry the parasite Bat Bugs. Bat bugs are very similar to their cousin, the bed bug, and they even follow the same pattern of growth, feeding and foraging. The primary difference between the two is where they harbor and what their most common host is. Bed bugs live off of the blood of humans, feeding on them in their beds while they sleep, while bat bugs live off of the blood of bats. Bat bugs are a little bolder than bed bugs, often found out in the open, walking around on wooden beams, guano and screening in attics. In some severe cases of a bat bug infestation, they can gain entry to upper levels of the home through gaps around vents, lighting and attic doors, where they can be found walking around on top of furniture. Bat bugs will bite humans if there is no other food source, however it is rare because they are not well adapted to feeding on people.
Bat One-Ways and Bat Removal in Richmond
Bats are threatened animals that need to be protected, but they also should not be allowed to stay in your attic for long periods of time because they can spread rabies and histoplasmosis, carry bat bugs, and soil your insulation. So what should you do if you find yourself with a bat issue? A licensed wildlife removal company like Critter Authority can inspect your property, locate the entry points, seal the smaller ones and install one-way doors on the main entry point. A bat one-way door/valve is a device that allows bats to leave, but not re-enter, which will force them to find a new home. Homeowners who want to keep the insect-munching mammal around can build a bat house in a nearby tree. If you are in the Richmond, Henrico, Hanover or Midlothian areas and you need bat removal, contact the experts at Critter Authority today for a FREE estimate! Call us at (804) 492-2804 or fill out a contact form.