WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A BAT IN YOUR SIOUX FALLS HOME

Bump. Bump. Thump. What's going on up in your attic? Do you have bats in the house? How about this: you go up into your attic to grab a box out of storage and come face-to-face with a group of bats. Having an encounter with bats is a lot worse than hearing them. Knowing what works to deal with a bat problem is good whether you hear bats or see them.

Join us today as we look at a few facts you should understand about bats. Then, we'll tell you how a bat expert addresses the issue of unwanted bats inside your home. If you'd like to talk with a professional about a bat problem or you want to learn about professional bat control in Sioux Falls, you can use our "Contact Us" page to get answers to your questions, or, of course, you can call. We're always happy to speak with you about your bat concerns.

CP Bat Mitigation is a bat control company that also practices bat conservation. We only use live traps and patented exclusion devices to address bat issues. If you hear bats but have yet to see them and you want to know if the sounds you're hearing are actually bats, we offer a free inspection. Our assessment will confirm what is happening in your attic or inside your walls. With that said, let's take a look at what you need to know about bats and what works to correct a bat problem.

Let the experts handle your Bat issues

Bats are mostly nocturnal animals but can change their behavior patterns and be active during the day. Whether or not they are active at night or day depends on available food. What food do bats eat? They eat insects, like mosquitoes, which prefer nighttime activity. Mosquitoes come out as soon as the sun starts to go down. Why? Because mosquitoes are simple organisms that get dehydrated by the sun. So, if you've ever wondered why bats flutter overhead during your evening walks, now you know. They've come out to feed. But they will attempt to feed during the day if they can't find enough food at night.

What do bats do during the day? As you can probably imagine, they sleep. But they don't sleep like we do. They are alert and sometimes active during sleep times. Bats often move about, fight with each other to get ideal spots, groom each other, and more. So, it is possible to hear bats during the day. But they do try to get as much shuteye as possible so they'll have the energy they need to go out at night and capture food, mate with each other, and do all of the other things bats do.

Bats in Sioux Falls prefer sleeping in a dark location, so they often infiltrate Sioux Falls homes and hide in attics. That is the most likely place to find these mammals, and why you'll hear bat sounds in the attic if they do get in. But they can migrate into walls and move down from attic spaces, particularly when temperatures rise outside, and your attic heats up. So, if you hear scratching and bumping in your walls, this is likely what the bats are doing.

Why are bats a concern for my property?

Whether you hear them in your attic or walls, is it cause for concern? How bad are bats? Let's quickly look at the general risks associated with having bats on the interior of your home.

The primary concern with bats is that they produce guano. If you find bat droppings in your attic, we strongly recommend wearing a respirator to avoid inhaling the spores that rise up from their dried droppings. Inhaling these spores can result in histoplasmosis. You can also get this by disturbing dirt contaminated by guano outdoors.

When bats infest your attic, their droppings may not remain in your attic; they can fall into gaps and enter wall voids. They may also get into duct lines. If you have cool air running through your duct lines, your ducts will attract bats on hot days. How do they get in there? Bats can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps. They are even known to get inside air conditioning units and pass through them to enter homes. When they find their way indoors, their droppings present a health concern no matter where they leave them. After getting the bats out, people often need an attic restoration service to clean and sanitize the area.

Another risk to consider is rabies. While it is very rare for a bat to bite someone who isn't attempting to handle it, there is a chance. Bats can act contrary to their normal docile behavior and attack a human out of confusion.