How to get rid of bats without killing them

Getting a bat in your home can be a real problem on many levels, but getting them to go away seems to many to be quite a daunting task. It is not only about finding a means that gets them to go away and stay away, but also doing so while not breaking any laws.



Bats are on the threatened list, which means that they are protected species in many states. That sounds totally crazy to some, but there are many in the science world who want to make sure that these animals have as much of a chance to thrive and succeed as possible. This makes the challenge of getting rid of them to be a little bit more difficult than you may have thought.

It is because of these laws that killing one is absolutely out of the question. You could face serious legal ramifications as a result of killing a bat and that simply is not worth it. This means you have to find non-lethal means to get them to go away.

There are those who turn to traps but that can be an issue as well. Trapping a bat may be against the law in your state as well, and so you cannot go with this option either. There has to be something that can work.

There Are Ways to Get Rid of Them Successfully

If you are wanting to get rid of the bat that has found its way into your home, know that there are some ways that you can do this without having to worry about any legal issues. The best is to give the bat a way to get out of the house but that does not allow them to get back in. This can best be accomplished by installing a one-way exclusion funnel over the spot that the bat is gaining access into your home.

If you are unfamiliar with this device, this is a funnel looking product that you nail or screw into the siding of your home directly over the place where the bat is coming in and out. When the bat leaves out of the house, it goes down through the funnel and to the outside through the value door in the device. Once the value door closes, the bat cannot push the door open and so it is excluded from getting back in.

This is the perfect device to use because you do not really have to do anything to keep the bat out. This is a great passive way to get the bat to leave and to keep it out. Once it is out, then you simply take down the exclusion device and seal the opening so that it cannot get back in. It is important that you add steel wool to the sealant to make it difficult for the bat to dig its way back in. The steel wool is irritating to the bat’s teeth and it will quit attempting to get back in.

If you find that you want to take a less passive approach to getting the bat to leave, then there are a couple of things you can do to help speed its exit down the funnel. One of the best is to place a bright light in the attic and just before dusk crank it on. That will startle the bat and cause it to go for its exit.

You can also add a loud speaker in the attic. When the music is turned on loud this will have the same effect in startling the bat. You will have gotten rid of it and not risked harming it in anyway.

Read more articles about bats:
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?

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