What bats are afraid of: 5 ways to drive them away without harm

Many people are afraid of bats from an early age. And when will this seemingly vicious animal begin to live on the roof of a house or in an apartment? 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.

If there is a concern about mammals, people often ask how they can get bats out from under their roof. There are a large number of methods for breeding bats that help solve the problem.

Preventive measures

About bats

To begin with, there are too many rumors, speculations and artistic images around these animals.

Here are the most common:

• feed on flesh
• drink blood
• bite and transmit infection.

Also, their appearance, of course, evokes emotion in few people. That is why the appearance of bats near a person does not make people happy at all. The reality is that bats living in the European part of Russia are harmless and safe creatures for humans.

What worries us all first is what they eat. So, their main diet is insects, which, by the way, especially bother us, namely mosquitoes, flies, moths, etc. A rare exception in the diet of bats is frogs. As you understand, to some extent, they are even assistants.

There are, of course, species that still feed on fruits. Such “neighbors” can already cause damage to your fruit plantings.

But, as a result, bats definitely won’t eat people and drink their blood.

Naturally, bats still pose a danger to people. Animal excrement is saturated with fungal vapors, which, when entering the human lungs, can cause serious illness. Bat excrement, also known as guano, has a pungent odor, oblong shape, and color from earthy gray to black.

But it is worth noting that this fungus is also present in bird excrement. So, of course, there is a chance of inhaling it from bat droppings, so you must follow a number of rules, which we will describe below. Biting is absolutely not a typical behavior for bats. After all, even if an animal is sick with rabies, it would rather become lethargic and apathetic than rush at people and animals. But if a person is bitten or scratched by a bat, it is better to immediately consult a doctor for vaccination and treatment.

Also, bats can damage the attic space, or the construction materials that are around.

Well, and most importantly, they can frighten the residents of the house with their unexpected appearance.

Although we now understand that they are not particularly dangerous, such a “neighborhood” is unpleasant in any case, to some extent has its consequences, and it is better to get rid of it in a humane way.

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.

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.

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”.

Why are bats dangerous?

Based on the characteristics of the diet of bats, it is difficult to classify them as a pest. After all, the animal mainly feasts on those insects that harm crops and gardens. In this regard, bats even benefit summer residents and gardeners.

But these mammals also have negative factors that can be called dangerous:

• Smell and dirt. Bats actively fill their habitat with excrement, which depletes the stench.
• Carrier of infections. Bats are carriers of many dangerous infectious diseases.
• Allergy. Animal feces contain a lot of pathogenic microorganisms that provoke the development of serious allergic reactions. And constantly inhaled air containing microparticles of bat waste can cause histoplasmosis, a lung infection.
• Damage to the house. Mice, having settled in the attics of houses, can chew through the waterproofing and spoil the insulation.
• If bitten, there is a risk of contracting rabies.

How to understand that bats have settled under the roof

1. The first and most obvious thing is that you will see them . Bats are nocturnal and sleep during the day. You can see them in the evening or at night, that is, just when they begin to fly out for food or to drink.
2. You will hear them . It is at night that bats squeak, scratch, and rustle, which can disturb the peace of people. Since bats can penetrate into a gap of about 1.5 cm, bats can even live under the façade cladding.
3. excrement emit an unpleasant odor, which, in addition to the usual discomfort, can also pose a threat, which we mentioned above. Besides the smell, the amount of droppings is always very large, so when looking for bats, the first thing you will see is a large amount of droppings.

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.

We suggest you read: Acne in cats: pimples, blackheads and their treatment

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

How to get bats out of your roof

So, you found out that there are bats under the roof, and now you are tormented by the question of how to get rid of them.

The very first and most important thing you should know.

IT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED to poison bats with any poisons or pesticides. There are a number of reasons for this.

1. Bats are an important part of an entire ecosystem. They belong to the category of rare animals, and perhaps many species are listed in the Red Book, which means they are protected at the level of the Law . But, first of all, it is too cruel.
2. Poisoned animals can climb into secluded, hard-to-reach places, die there, their bodies will decompose and there will be even more damage from the dead animal.
3. If an adult is poisoned, and there are already cubs, the adult will die, and the cubs will die just as long and painfully, this time from hunger. Bottom line - see point above.

Now that it’s clear what exactly shouldn’t be done, let’s figure out how to get bats out of the house.

Just coming, driving everyone away and sealing all the cracks will not work. Firstly, if not all the cracks have been found, the mice will return. And if, nevertheless, the cracks were carefully sealed, but someone remained (for example, offspring that do not yet fly), the animals will die and will emit a smell.

In order to select (or try) remedies, you need to know the most important facts about bats.

So, autumn has come, and you are ready for decisive action.

Effective methods of control

There are many options explaining how to get rid of bats in the country. Choose a control method based on the simplicity of the method and the number of individuals living in the country.

Chemicals

The use of such products is not recommended. Remember that bats are protected by law and it is better not to destroy them. Bats can also get trapped in a crack and die in a hard-to-reach place, emitting a foul odor as they decompose.

Therefore, when choosing a pesticide, give preference to aerosols. For example, 876 4-Pack BatRepellent, which includes peppermint. The product is sprayed on the habitats of bats (strictly in their absence). The smell of chemicals will scare away the animals.

Use chemicals only in non-residential areas where there are no pets. When working with drugs, do not forget about personal protective measures (masks and gloves).

Repellers

To find out how to get rid of bats in your country house, consider using special devices - ultrasonic repellers. This is a safe and effective method. When operating, the repeller emits ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 35-60 kHz. They are not detected by humans and are harmless to them. But mice are sensitive to radiation and cannot tolerate it.

Using the device is simple - it is connected to a power outlet and the operating mode is set. After 1.5-2 weeks, the bats will leave their homes.

Among the most effective repellers are the following:

In rare cases, ultrasonic repellers can trigger migraines in people with high sensitivity. Therefore, it is better not to stay within the range of the device for a long time.

Traditional methods

Study time-tested folk methods that explain how to get rid of bats in the country.

What means do you use to fight bats? Folk repellents

All these methods are absolutely safe and do not require material costs:

• Water. Chiropterans do not like humidity and will never settle in damp places. To expel mice, you need to spray their holes with water daily.
• Naphthalene. The animals have an excellent sense of smell and cannot tolerate strong odors, which include naphthalene. In order to combat uninvited guests, mothballs or pieces are laid out in their habitats (they are first placed in gauze bags).
• Light. Chiropterans will never return to their burrows unless it is dark. Place several powerful light sources in such a way as to illuminate the mice’s hiding places, and after 2-3 days the animals will leave this area.
• Polyurethane foam. It is needed to tightly seal all the cracks possible for penetration. But be sure to make sure that there are no animals in the holes, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to get rid of the stench later if the mice die in closed places.
• Smoker. Chiropterans cannot tolerate the smell of smoke. To smoke animals from your favorite territory, use a smoker for 2-3 days.
• Fans. Try using a fan as well, directing the air flow into the mouse den.
• Loud sounds. Although this method has not been proven to work, try scaring away a family of mice with the sounds of loud music.

Expert opinion Mityuk Stefania Bogdanovna If all methods have been tried, but stubborn bats do not bother to leave their homes, contact specialists. Professionals will explain how to get rid of bats in your dacha and help you with this. SES representatives have all modern equipment. They will quickly and reliably get rid of bats.

Preparation

Getting bats out from under your roof is a serious process and requires advance preparation. First of all, you need to prepare yourself. Here are some important rules that MUST be followed.

Method one - observational and handicraft

During twilight and night time, look for areas where bats enter the attic.

When you see that the mice have flown away to hunt, use any available methods to seal the entry points. Depending on the hole, you can use boards, tape, etc. It is better to use polyurethane foam later.

Remember, bats hunt once every few days. Therefore, the next day, open the entry point so that those who have not yet flown out will fly out.

After repeating this procedure for a week, making sure that now all the bats have definitely flown out, you can seal the holes more seriously - with polyurethane foam, sealant, etc.

Method two - natural and safe

There are also longer options, which may not be entirely effective, but they are safe.

Treatment with water, light and wind.

The three methods listed above are good, but the likelihood that the bats will not return is not very high.

Method three - smoking and smelling

If bats are not in sight, or for some reason there is no desire or opportunity to waste electricity, water and time on these methods, there are still options.

Method four - dubious and controversial

There is information that special sprays and ultrasonic repellers for rodents are also used. But the effectiveness of these methods is also not 100% guaranteed.

What to do with a loner

Sometimes a lone individual may accidentally fly into a room. Simple methods can help get rid of it.

Isolation of children and pets

If a mouse has flown into the living room, children should be taken to other rooms. The animals are also isolated to prevent them from attacking the individual and getting injured.

Open the window and turn on the light for 10-15 minutes

In the room into which the mouse flew, you need to turn on the light and open the window. After 15 minutes the individual will find a way out and fly away.

Catch in a box

If the bat does not fly away, you need to wait until it calms down. The sedentary animal should be covered with a box, and thick cardboard should be inserted under the bottom. Then take it away from the house.

When is it okay to let go?

To prevent the individual from dying, it is recommended to release it into the wild at night. If the animal was discovered in winter, it should be taken to the veterinarian or wait until the warm season. Otherwise it will die.

When chiropteran mammals take up residence in a house, you have to resort to different methods to drive them away.

Since animals do more good than harm, it is recommended to use loyal disposal methods.

Source

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.

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.

Biological features

It is worth highlighting several features of the life activity of such mice:

• The presence of wings;
• Ability to fall into stupor;
• Orientation when moving using echolocation.

The unique skill of falling into torpor is the forced inhibition of metabolism and slowing down the heartbeat. Sometimes animals spend the winter in this way if necessary to survive unfavorable conditions. If a mouse flew into an apartment, then most likely it lost orientation in space. The animals have low vision and use echolocation to move. The animal has big ears for a reason. The mouse tries to make a sound at a high frequency, which is reflected from objects and similarly quickly determines the flight distance.

Bats seek food among insects, but large species prefer to eat frogs and birds. There are also vampires that suck blood from small mammals.

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.