Recently, the question of how to get rid of bats under the roof of a house has worried not only residents of dachas and private estates, but also apartment owners. Pests settle on balconies and attics, disturbing the peace of residents and causing discomfort. You can get rid of uninvited guests using folk or chemical remedies, special repellers or traps.
Animals choose dark, dry and spacious rooms to settle in, where they can calmly settle down and have offspring.
The tips and tricks presented in the article will help you drive away bats and forget about the problem forever.
Signs of bats
Bats live in warm places inhabited by humans - in the attic, balcony, barn, summer cottage, and can also fly into living quarters. They are very agile and can squeeze into gaps of 1-1.5 cm.
There are a large number of methods for breeding bats that help solve the problem.
The main reason for the appearance of animals in a house or country house is the search for shelter for reproduction, so most often it is not individual individuals that appear, but entire colonies. In the spring, their number increases significantly, and by August the grown offspring begin to fly, then the problem becomes obvious.
Constant rustling, squeaking and the possibility of suddenly flying into an apartment can create a feeling of fear even in those who have strong nerves.
The appearance of bats can be determined long before this moment by the following signs:
- The appearance of extraneous noise and squeaking at night.
- When inspecting the premises, traces of fur can be identified.
- The appearance of a sharp unpleasant odor.
- In settlement areas there will certainly be round-shaped animal excrement, called guano, and urine stains.
Based on its habitat and nutritional characteristics, the animal is not classified as a pest.
A subtle sign of the appearance of bats is a decrease in the number of mosquitoes and midges and beetles on which they feed, which bring undoubted benefits. Some species of animals eat fruit, so they can significantly spoil the harvest. But the most important danger is the likelihood of infection due to the bite of these creatures, since they are carriers of dangerous diseases. Therefore, it is better to get rid of such a neighborhood in a timely manner.
Very rarely does a bat come into contact with people, since it lives in dark, inaccessible areas.
How to determine that mice have settled under the roof
Before you start getting rid of bats, you need to find out where they live. More often, these are dry non-residential areas with different protrusions. The bats cling to them and hang upside down. If the house is multi-story, mammals like to live on the roof. Sometimes bats can fly onto the balcony, into the ventilation passage and nest there. At the dacha, these “neighbors” are more common.
Finding where bats live is not difficult. You should wait until the bat leaves the home. Pests hunt mainly at night and at dusk. If this moment is missed, then you can lock the bats in the cracks forever. There, dying animals will cause a lot of noise, and, having died, they will rot, emitting an unpleasant odor.
Attention! It is worth considering the moment of feeding the offspring. Small pets are not able to fly away from the nest on their own, and the female rarely leaves the house. It would be unwise to send her away with her brood. The brood time of mammals depends on climatic conditions: the earlier it gets warm, the faster the brood time will come. It is worth waiting out this period, or driving away the animals before this period comes.
Winter time is also a bad time to fight mice. Animals often hibernate. If they are removed, they will most likely die. The optimal time for smoking volatile individuals is the beginning of autumn.
You can determine where the nest is located by looking at the droppings. Mammals leave heaps of waste products right near their home. Their excrement is dark brown with shiny dots, which are insect shells. They are not similar to rat and mouse droppings, so it is impossible to confuse them. It is important to find all the passages through which pests enter the roof. It is worth considering that animals are able to climb even into openings 1.5 cm wide.
How to get rid of bats
There are several methods for removing bats from your home, but in any case, you should know how to do it correctly. Some countries have laws aimed at protecting bats from extermination. There is also a certain period when getting rid of animals is not recommended. This should not be done in the cold season - in winter bats hibernate, all metabolic processes in the body slow down, so the animals may die.
Bats can even be useful. For example, gardeners, summer residents.
After the birth of the offspring, it is impossible to drive away the adults, since the cubs will be doomed to a painful death by starvation. In addition, dead animals can cause an unpleasant odor and the spread of infection. Therefore, the procedure is carried out before their birth or after the feeding stage. Poisoning and killing bats is strictly prohibited, so the methods of control presented below are the most humane and effective.
It is prohibited to remove a bat using poisons and chemicals.
Useful facts
There are many myths and stories about chiropteran mammals. But there are real facts you need to know before getting rid of these animals.
They don't build nests
The main reason that flying individuals settle in residential buildings is that they do not nest. They just hang from the ceiling, clinging with their claws.
The appearance of offspring
In mid-latitudes, bats reproduce once a year - towards the end of spring, beginning of summer. The number of offspring in a litter is one or two; triplets are rarely born.
Colonies of females
In summer, females form extensive maternal colonies. Males and barren females always settle separately.
Mating begins in the month of August and continues throughout the fall and winter. Colonies include from 10 to 1 or one and a half thousand individuals.
Night mode
Chiropterans are nocturnal. At night, they hunt insects, as they have an important advantage over other nocturnal animals - echolocation. During the day, mice sleep upside down, falling into torpor.
Disease carriers
Scientists have found that individuals carry more diseases dangerous to humans than other mammals.
Rabies
Chiropterans are long-term hosts and carriers of the rabies virus. But not all species of individuals carry the disease. A person can become infected only through a bite.
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Marburg virus
Marburg virus is spread by mice. The disease causes severe hemorrhagic fever in humans; At the same time, the fatality rate is high.
Ebola virus
Flying individuals can infect people with an acute viral infection without becoming victims of the disease themselves. The virus can then spread through close person-to-person contact.
Histoplasmosis
Chiropterans are carriers of the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. The infection is found in animal excrement. Therefore, to become infected, it is enough to be nearby and inhale dangerous fumes.
Parasites
Harmful insects settle on flying animals. But they do not threaten people in any way, as they are attached to their owners.
Chemical methods of control
This method involves the use of special chemicals aimed at repelling bats. They should be used when animals leave their home in search of food.
When choosing products, they rely on their ease of use, the number of mice living in the attic or barn, and the price.
- Special repellents. Animal habitats and openings through which they enter the room are treated with aerosols.
- Mothballs. The smell of mothballs repels bats, and over time they leave their favorite place. Since the smell dissipates over time, the procedure should be repeated.
Bats are extremely sensitive to its intrusive odor.
Important! Naphthalene is a hazard class 4 chemical whose vapors pose a threat to human health. The placement of this chemical in residential areas is prohibited.
Naphthalene can be a real help in the fight against bats.
How dangerous are pests and diseases?
Contact with bats can lead to serious viral and fungal diseases. A frightened animal, when picked up, bites, along with saliva, transmitting bacteria and viruses directly into the blood of the offender.
The most dangerous pathologies that can be transmitted to humans include:
- Rabies is an incurable disease that requires an immediate visit to the hospital for vaccination. It begins with changes in behavior, unreasonable aggressiveness, anxiety, and headache attacks. As it progresses, the person develops dehydration, paralysis, and death.
- Darling's disease is transmitted by inhalation of spores that rise into the air when moving through the feces of animals. The symptoms of the disease can easily be confused with the flu; the only difference is the absence of fever.
Bats carry many diseases that are fatal to humans. Depending on the area of residence, they are capable of transmitting Ebola, Marburg, Hendra fever, and SARS.
Important! A bite from an animal that collides with a person requires immediate medical attention. The victim will have to undergo a course of rabies vaccinations to prevent rabies infection.
Traditional methods of repelling bats
Traditional methods are less effective and are observed only after some time, but it is still worth a try.
- Additional lighting. Bright light discourages nocturnal creatures, so you can install lamps and leave the light on at night.
- Water. Since bats prefer only warm and dry places, you can water the room within reasonable limits so as not to damage the property. Dampness will definitely discourage guests. In addition, you can direct a stream of water directly at the animals, then they will certainly fly away, but they may soon return.
- Spraying smoke. To do this, you need to light a fire in a tin can, and then smoke out the animals using smoke. This procedure will have to be carried out over several days.
- Use of a fan. The disadvantage of this method is that it will only work if the air flow is directed directly at the animals.
Note! Due to the low effectiveness of these methods, it is recommended to use them as additional means.
Neighborhood dangers
Aggressive bat
Unpleasant coexistence with a colony of bats is associated with the interference it creates. People who are faced with the unauthorized colonization of bats make complaints:
- to constant noise - night activity and fussing interferes with sleep, scares children;
- unpleasant odors and dirt - waste products are scattered under permanent habitats, emitting a disgusting aroma;
- unsanitary conditions - animals are carriers of infections and viruses, including those dangerous to humans; their droppings contain many pathogens and parasites;
- roof damage - animals gnaw holes in the insulation and waterproofing of the insulation; their activity requires constant repair of the roof.
The main danger when encountering blood-sucking bats is bites. Automatic protective reflexes of animals lead to infection of people; in Russia, between May and September, they spread rabies. In other species of animals, problems are caused by droppings, as the main transmitter of fungal infections.
Important! Epidemiologists advise cleaning rooms from traces of bats' activity using gloves and a respirator. After treatment, all clothing is disinfected and thoroughly ironed.
Application of electrical appliances
Particularly popular are special electrical devices that affect bats using ultrasound. Sound waves of variable frequency through the hearing organs have an effect on the nervous system of animals, so they leave their habitats. The effect does not occur immediately, it usually takes two or three weeks.
The ultrasonic bat repeller acts quite humanely towards the animals.
The devices differ in some characteristics:
- by purpose: for animals, insects or universal;
- by installation location: indoors and outdoors;
- by mounting method: stationary and wall-mounted;
- by impact: with different frequencies.
- according to the zone (area) of the device.
A device that emits ultrasound waves repels critters from the attic and prevents them from returning.
Important! Such devices are completely safe for people, since humans are not sensitive to sound waves in this range. But if you have pets, you should remember that the effect of the device will also apply to them. It is recommended to isolate pets during installation of the device.
May-July is the breeding season for bats, so it is recommended to get rid of bat colonies either before May or after July.
Room treatment
Hooray! Not only have you learned how to get bats out of your roof, but you've successfully done it! With a high probability, the entire room where the bats lived is filled with a bunch of excrement and now it is necessary to properly clean and treat the room.
Here are some important rules.
| As always, there are special requirements for clothing. Whole body securely covered with thick clothing. On hands - thick long gloves. On the head is a thick hat. on our eyes . A respirator is a MUST for respiratory protection! |
| All detected excrement, also known as guano, must be moistened with water. If this is not done, during cleaning they will become very dusty, and we know that dust from guano is the most dangerous and harmful consequence. |
| Pre-moistened excrement can be carefully removed - with a broom, broom, etc., whatever is more convenient for you. |
| The cleaned room must be thoroughly disinfected. To disinfect the premises, specialized products are purchased from the relevant departments. You can do this yourself, but it’s better to call a specialized service that will disinfect the premises efficiently and correctly. |
If you have tried everything, but the bats remain under the roof of the house, or in other secluded places, there is another option.
Call the professionals. They already have experience, specialized equipment and means with which they will carry out partial and complete cleaning of the desired location. The only surprise that may await you in this case is that you may need to completely or partially dismantle the place where bats live - the roof, the eaves, part of the wall under the cladding, etc.
When you need to call special teams
If all the methods tried have not brought the desired result, and the number of breeding individuals is growing exponentially, you should contact the sanitary and epidemiological station for help or call a special team that deals with pest elimination. Experts know how to effectively get rid of mice in the attic, in the shortest possible time and using absolutely legal methods.
If the above methods do not solve the problem with flying individuals, then the only quick option for removing mice is to call a special sanitary service.
The main problem created by small attic inhabitants is the possibility of a person becoming infected with various diseases from bat bites. They themselves do not attack humans, but when trying to drive them away from their homes, bats can bite.
If you are bitten by a bat, you must immediately seek medical help and get vaccinated.
The most common diseases that these creatures carry are the following:
- Histoplasmosis is a dangerous disease caused by a fungus that affects the respiratory tract. Birds and bats spread it through their excrement.
- Rabies. Infected bats live only a few days, but the likelihood of a bite during this period still exists.
- Ebola and Marburg viruses. According to official data, the main focus of the spread of the virus is Africa, but precautions are never superfluous.
You should protect yourself from direct contact with bats.
Additional Information. Special services will take measures to remove bats and also disinfect the premises with special preparations permitted by law. This will allow you to get rid of intrusive inhabitants for a long time.
SES workers have modern drugs and equipment.
Afterword
In conclusion, it is worth saying that animals such as bats are a fickle clientele and are unlikely to “rent” an apartment from you for a long time. In most cases, they do not stay longer than a month and fly away on their own. So you can tolerate such cute and charming “tenants” for a month.
If you don’t want to put up with them at any time or for any period of time, and you haven’t been able to drive them out using the methods described above, then there are special teams of professionals who fight this kind of uninvited “guests.” These guys, for a certain amount, will do their job at the highest level and rid you of these annoying animals, and at the same time, at your request and for an additional payment, they will remove cockroaches for you and catch all the snakes in the garden.
Preventive measures
Like any other nuisance, it is easier to prevent the appearance of bats in the house than to spend time and money on getting them out.
After expelling the bats from under the roof, the attic must be cleaned, destroying all traces of their presence, and also disinfected.
It’s worth preparing for this in advance, before the colony settles down thoroughly and breeds offspring:
- It is regularly necessary to inspect attics, basements and other places where owners are extremely rarely found. It is precisely such rooms, if they are also insulated, that attract bats.
- It is necessary to seal all possible openings through which bats can enter the room. To do this, large openings should be covered with grating, and small cracks should be eliminated using sealants or construction foam.
- It is very practical to install a special device with a unidirectional output. Such a device is attached in places most susceptible to penetration by animals. Its operating principle is based on blocking reverse entry. Even if the bats have managed to get into the house, once they leave it, they will no longer be able to return.
It is important to seal the cracks, repair the roof, or re-roof it, or plaster the attic.
Important! When getting rid of bats yourself, you need to take precautions. Rubber gloves are put on the hands, the respiratory organs are protected with a respirator, and the eyes are covered with goggles. Discovered excrement should be thoroughly moistened with water before cleaning to prevent the spraying of dried guano. The cleaned area must be thoroughly washed with a disinfectant.
Take precautions and do not neglect protective equipment.
Fighting bats is not a one-day process; it may take a long time to eliminate them or the help of special services. In any case, it is important to remain calm, show patience and humanity. The right method will allow you to get rid of uninvited guests once and for all.
A suitable method for removing chiropterans will not only clear the space, but also prevent the return of mammals.
Meeting an uninvited guest
On the territory of our country there are several species of bats that live near residential buildings:
| Variety | Habitats | Lifestyle Features |
| Night bat (water and pond) | Central regions, Siberia (Eastern and Western), regions of the Far East | prefer plains and settle in houses with nearby bodies of water, fly out from their roosts twice a day to feed (in the evening and at dawn), feed mainly on mosquitoes |
| Leathers | south Russia, Caucasus regions | lives near human settlements, diet consists of large beetles and moths, hibernates in winter |
| Ushany | European territory of the Russian Federation, southern parts of Siberia and the Far East | they like to crawl along the walls of houses and collect food - spiders, caterpillars, mosquitoes and butterflies; they fly out to hunt twice a day - in the late evening and at dawn |
| Dwarf Bat | Caucasus, southern and western regions | settles in attics and roofs, can also live in the hollows of old trees, diet consists of flies, mosquitoes and butterflies, before winter they fly to the southern regions |
| Nathusius' Bat | Center of Russia and middle Volga region | prefer slit-like shelters, can hide behind window casings, under roofs, feed on beetles, mosquitoes and butterflies |
All bats, regardless of species, share the same features:
- the body is covered with hard and thick hair;
- large leathery wings, reaching a span of up to 2 m (at rest, the wings of mice fit tightly to the body);
- powerful and developed forelimbs;
- body weight averages 130-150 g;
- the thumb has a long hooked claw.
To understand how to get rid of bats in your dacha, you need to know their habits. Chiropterans do not tolerate light and settle in shaded places - basements, attics. During the day, mice rest and at night they lead an active life, emitting shrill squeaks and disturbing the peace of residents.
Bats have appeared on earth for tens of millions of years and have undergone virtually no changes in the process of evolution.
Legal methods of struggle
Bats are an important part of the ecosystem. They destroy pests that affect crops or harvests of vegetables and fruits. Many species of bats are on the verge of extinction and are listed in the Red Book. Their destruction can upset the natural balance.
Destruction of habitats and destruction of individuals is prohibited by law in the United States and many Western countries. In Russia there is no decree on the protection of these particular animals, only on the protection of the animal world. Their destruction is an inhumane task, but there are also legal methods of struggle.
Features of bats
Bats belong to the order Chiroptera. But they are not “relatives” of ordinary mice. They are considered primates. These animals are nocturnal, despite their rather poor eyesight, and are perfectly oriented in the dark. Bats emit ultrasound, which helps to accurately distinguish small stones from insects over long distances. It is thanks to echolocation that they move in the dark. Below are some more interesting facts about bats.
- Life cycle. Bats live longer than dogs. On average, the lifespan of a “mystical” animal is 25-30 years.
- Dimensions. Bats, depending on the species, may have different parameters. Some individuals do not exceed the dimensions of a bumblebee in size. But there are also real giants, whose wingspan is 2 m.
- Ancient inhabitants. According to archaeological excavations, bats inhabited our planet approximately 55 million years ago. These animals have been practically untouched by evolution. Their remains are no different from modern individuals.
- Body temperature. Can vary from −7ºС to +48ºС.
- State of numbness. In winter, bats, deprived of the opportunity to get their own food, prefer to do nothing. Goes into a sleep state. This numbness can last up to eight months. The animal independently slows down metabolic processes and lowers body temperature. In the event of severe frosts, they can turn into real “icicles”, but with the arrival of warmth they thaw and continue their life activity again.
Bats breed once a year. Babies are conceived during wintering. The offspring are never numerous. Usually in the summer only one mouse is born. Sometimes two cubs may be born.
Area
These animals choose secluded, dark and completely safe shelters during the daytime. In the wild, they settle in rock crevices, caves, abandoned burrows and hollows, on the slopes of dunes, even in the recesses of walls.
Human activity is leading to the destruction of natural bat habitats. The animals are forced to look for new shelters. They quickly adapt to the new environment and settle next to humans. The winged ones inhabit abandoned adits and mines, attics, cellars, cellars and forgotten bell towers. Uninvited guests can be found in haystacks and on balconies.
Bats are unable to take off from the ground because they have rather large wings. Therefore, they choose places to rest from which they can throw themselves headfirst.
Nutrition and main types
Despite the vampirism attributed to them, most species are quite peaceful and vegetarians. However, not all. Food preferences depend on the type of mouse. More detailed information is provided in the table.
Table - Types of bats
| Species name | Description | What do they eat? |
| White (tailless) | — They have a length of up to 4.5 cm, small ears and an unusual nose; — live in Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua; — settle in the huge leaves of heliconia, forming a family of 5-6 individuals | Fruits |
| Vechernitsy | — Inhabit North Africa and European countries; - have large sizes (length 10-50 cm); — fly at a speed of 60 km/h; - live in deciduous forests | — Beetles; - butterflies; - small songbirds |
| Fruit (dogs or foxes) | — Live in the forests of Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam; - distinguished by an elongated muzzle; - the body reaches 42 cm, and the wingspan is 1.7-2 m; - settle in trees; - live in huge colonies | - Bananas; - papaya; - grapes; - coconuts |
| Smooth-nosed | - They have a smooth muzzle without any cartilaginous growths; - found in all countries where woody vegetation grows | — Insects; - fish |
| Ushany | - They have large ears; - distinguished by short and wide wings; - the body reaches a length of 5-6 cm; - found in Europe, Asia, North Africa | — Beetles; - butterflies; - mosquitoes |
| Horseshoe bats | - They have a cartilaginous growth in the area of the nose that resembles a horseshoe; — take off immediately after sunset; - hunt only in the first half of the night; - live in the Caucasus | Insects |
| Nightwomen | — Inhabit all countries and continents, except the Arctic; - fly out to hunt in complete darkness; - have a high degree of adaptability, can live in any conditions; - fly calmly and slowly | By night insects |
| Vampire | - They have weak echolocation; - have developed hearing; - have infrared receptors; - inhabit only South and Central America | Blood of birds and animals (sometimes they can drink blood from a sleeping or exhausted person) |
Reasons for appearance
In nature, to create places for their settlement, bats choose dry, dark, high-altitude places, natural depressions - caves, hollows, etc.
Human dwellings, firstly, attract bats with high altitude - this is the reason for the sudden appearance of bats in the attics of residential high-rise buildings, balconies, etc.
Private houses are also tempting - bats choose non-residential premises and spaces because they are dark, dry and quiet - attics of houses, barns, chimneys, etc.
In nature, bats tend to lead an active lifestyle from spring to autumn. Then, the animals either fly away to warm countries or hibernate.
But, since a person’s home is, first of all, an approximately constant temperature, this is exactly what they like, and bats on the roof of a house can continue to remain, multiplying their offspring, without changing place.
That is, they appear in our houses and on roofs only because they are looking for a reliable place for breeding offspring and further life.
And, it should be remembered that they arrive in whole colonies at once, and not in separate “pairs”.
Criteria for correct selection
The appearance of these animals in the attic of a country cottage often causes its residents to panic. Many people, according to ancient beliefs, believe that bats are vampires that drink blood. In fact, these somewhat unusual-looking animals are not dangerous to humans. They feed on insects, thereby saving your crop from a large number of pests. But since they are nocturnal, this can bring some discomfort to the existence of home owners. Therefore, they try to get rid of such neighbors by all available means.
Today it is very easy to force animals to leave your home. It is enough to install a special mouse repeller in the attic. But in order for the device to cope with its task, it is necessary to choose the most optimal model for a particular room.
Therefore, the most important parameter that people pay attention to is the range of the device. Therefore, first estimate the size of the territory that needs to be protected. And at the same time, keep in mind that ultrasound does not pass through solid obstacles well.
It is worth paying attention to the workload of the room. If there is a large number of different objects in it, then the propagation of ultrasound will be much worse than in free space.
When purchasing a device, consult a retail chain manager about its capabilities. He will be able to give comprehensive answers to all your questions and recommend the most effective model.
