Advice for emailers with bat problems

My house is completely infested with bats. Truly. There are probably thousands! We are a large home and the bats are very happy living in not only our barrel tile roof but the dental style molding. For the three years I have lived here I have experienced a love/hate relationship with them. We have tried putting mesh to prevent them from reentering but they are determined. As much as I love watching them take flight at night I am concerned about the damage they are causing. Our gutters are full of guano as are the entryway and all back entrances, to the point that I worry about it being tracked in. Not to mention the smell in the summer......I believe the acidic nature is eating through my flashing causing leaks in the roof and I'm getting tired of finding the dead ones in the yard and decomposing on top of the pool screen. I don't want to hurt them, and in fact have little faith that they will ever completely leave. However, if we could lessen their colony numbers I would be happy. I'm not sure if your services are in my budget, this home has turned out to be the true money pit, but I would like to get a quote so that I can at least start saving towards it. Please let me know what the next step in this process is. How much do you charge for an estimate? Have a great weekend!!!

My Response:
That is a very challenging scenario. Barrel tile roofs contain thousands of gaps, and they must all be sealed so that the bats cannot enter and exit. Ventilation concerns are also an issue, which is why a combination of netting and caulk is the most common way to seal the gaps. Some companies even install polynet over the entire area. Tell me your location, and either I can come and give you an estimate, or another professional in your area, that I recommend, can talk to you about an in-person inspection and job proposal.

Have a log home in the Black Mountain area of NC. Location is about 25 miles east of Asheville. We are ironically located near a town called Bat Cave. We have Bats up under our trim, near our dormers and between where the half logs of our external walls meet thr roof line on the log home. We live on a lake and have very few other homes are near by so we are the only "bat condo" for a quarter mile or so. Can u recommend someone in the Asheville area to visit our home to help us. I don't want to waste dollars or someone's time. Just want the bats to go away once and for all znd do what is needed to make certaion they do not return. We have urine stains on the upper exterior walls, windows, and plenty of bat poo around the exterior. Please feel free to drop a line

My Response:
Sure, I know a great company in Asheville! That situation doesn't sound terribly complex, unless the logs are deteriorating, or there are many gaps or difficult architecture.

So, I live in Kentucky. It is July. Will they migrate in winter? I have a two story house. I don’t want to get on top of the chimney and look down the flu to Identify the species, get startled and fall off the house. So I don’t know about identifying them. To chicken to look up the flu. So right now willing to wait them out if they will leave. They do seem to “chatter up “ in the morning and evening. Would that be consistent with a bat species? I mean, would it rule out bats as in some other kind of critter? Does sound like quite a few. Chimney is in sound condition. So interesting that they most likely come in from the side and not down the flu. Hope I don’t have repairs needed.

My Response:
Sometimes they do migrate away in the winter. It all depends on whether your house is insulated well enough for them to overwinter without freezing. Even if it is warm enough, they still might migrate away.

Here are more reader emails:
Guano in the Gutters
Bat behind the curtains
Bats in the dormers of a house
Can't Find a Bat in the Basement
How Many Bugs per Night Do Bats Eat
Do Bats Avoid Lights
Do Bats Migrate
Can Bats Walk On The Ground
What should I do with a bat after I catch it in my house?
Will a bright light or high pitch sound deterrent machine work on bats?
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What can bats chew through?
Do bats chew on wires?
Where do colonizing bats live?
How do bats use echolocation?
Will a pest control company remove a bat?
How to get bats out of a wall
How to keep bats out of a barn
How to get bats out of the attic vent
Bat urine removal and urine stain removal
Is bat feces dangerous to touch or breathe?
How to remove bat feces from concrete
Signs and evidence you have bats in attic
What is the best material to exclude bats?
How to get rid of bats without killing them
How to use one-way exclusion funnels to remove bats without trapping them
What equipment is needed to exclude a bat?
Home remedies to keep away bats and get rid of them
Will homeowners insurance pay for bat damage?
How to find a bat hiding in your house
What areas can bats enter a house through?
Do mothballs help repel bats?
Fastest way to get rid of bats
What is a bat’s natural habitat?
What is a bat’s natural diet?
Should I relocate a bat?
Is it legal for me to trap a bat?
What if you are bitten by a bat?
What are some of the symptoms of a sick bat?
What if a bat got inside my house?
How long do bats live in a house?
What is a bat’s mating habits?
Biology of Evening Bat
How to find and remove a dead bat
Bats in attic removal cost


NEED LOCAL HELP? We have wildlife removal professionals servicing 95% of the USA. Click here to hire a local bat removal expert in your home town. Updated 2018. You may also want to read my hiring advice to know what to look for. And before you hire anyone, it's best to be educated on the subject, so browse this site and especially read the bats in the attic home page.

Wildlife Education - Information and Advice for the Safe Removal of Bats from Attics