If you’re reading this article, chances are you have bats and you are in need of a quick acting bat repellent. These flying mammals are good for the environment when they stay outside. Indoors, bats can make humans sick.
Bat excrement can contain toxic fungus that causes a serious upper respiratory infection called histoplasmosis. A potentially serious health hazard.
Luckily, there are a variety of deterrent methods on the market that can help with your bat problem. This article will cover the most common bat repelling options.
By the time you finish, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to rid your belfry of bats. Bats provide a critical service. We just don’t prefer them indoors.
Contents
- Bat Removal Basics
- What Does Bat Poop Look Like?
- Bat Repellent Spray
- Bat Repellent Sound
- Natural Bat Repellents
- Homemade Bat Repellents
- Bat Magic Bat Repellent Indoor Scent Packs
- Bat Removal Devices
- Batcone II Reusable Bat Exclusion
- Bat Removal Cost
- Post Bat Removal
- Bat Problem? Try Removing Bat Food Sources
- Bat Removal Do It Yourself
- Related Articles:
Bat Removal Basics
As outdoor bat habitats are destroyed, bats are moving indoors to find shelter. Bats tend to roost in rarely used spaces such as attics and even cabins. The best way to remove bats is to prevent them from entering your home in the first place.
Although we list a number of bat deterrent methods, physical removal of bats and keeping bats from reentering your house, cabin, or other buildings through the use of one way exits and covering their common entry point (after they have left) is the most effective method.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but sometimes you have no idea multiple bats are dwelling with you in your structure. So, how do you know if you have bats?
Besides seeing them, you may be able to hear them in your attic space or walls at night. The easiest way however is to look for sign of bat poop or bat droppings which will help identify the entry point area.
What Does Bat Poop Look Like?
Bat poop looks like elongated, brown pellets, and smells musky. Bat droppings, also called guano, is sometimes confused for mouse droppings. Guano looks similar, but it’s bigger in size.
There may be streaks of black (urine) in the poop as well. If you have a bat problem, you can find excrement inside where they hang out and outside around the structure entry points.
Once you know you have these critters, there are a variety of ways to get rid of them. In the United States, bats are protected on a state and federal level. You can’t kill them so please do not use bat poison! Instead, you can use the safe and humane practices that we discuss here.
Please Note: You can’t remove bats during bat mating or maternity season (between April and August), so these methods should only be applied from September through March.
Bat Repellent Spray
White phenol is a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment. Phenol is colorless and has a slight odor. Since bats have a strong sense of smell, the scent is overwhelming to them.
Spray the white phenol spray for bats in infested areas until the bats are no longer in your home. White phenol spray is great for bat control and eliminating bat infestation areas.
Bat Repellent Sound
Bats prefer to roost in quiet places. To get rid of bats, you can make commotion with a white noise machine, a radio, or other electronic device. Put your chosen sound machine in the room with the bats during the day as they try to sleep.
Ultrasonic Bat Repellent Devices
There are also specialized sound machines called ultrasonic bat deterrent devices. These ultrasonic bat repelling systems produce noises only bats can hear so humans, pets, and other animals don’t have to suffer. Think dog whistle.
This is especially helpful when the bats are in your walls and you need to put ultrasonic devices in your living spaces. Ultrasonic sounds work well for indoor use bat control.
CLEANRTH CB006 Advanced Ultrasonic Bat Repelling System
ET Pest Control (Bat targeting system)
Natural Bat Repellents
Like other invasive mammals, bats do not like cinnamon. Sprinkle their nesting area generously with this spice. Since bats like sleeping or hanging out in high up in spaces, you may need a ladder to get near the bats with cinnamon or cinnamon essential oils.
This is a great repellent if you want to use natural ingredients as a deterrent.
You can also use mothballs. Hang the moth balls where the bats sleep and replace them frequently. The smell of the moth balls help to keep the vampires at bay.
Homemade Bat Repellents
Light is like kryptonite to a bat. Try bringing light into the space with a lamp or flood light. If that doesn’t work, add a mirror. Use the mirror to reflect bright light on the bats while they’re asleep (during the day).
You can also reflect bright lights by hanging strips of aluminum foil in a lit room or install strobe lights in large areas to brighten up a dark space.
Bat Magic Bat Repellent Indoor Scent Packs
Bat Magic repellent indoor deterrent products repel bats using natural ingredients. The active ingredient in Bat Magic Bat Repellent include essential oils such as peppermint oil and spearmint oil.
Bats simply do not like the strong scent. Humans on the other hand tend to consider peppermint and spearmint essential oils as a pleasant scent.
Bat Magic Bat Repellent can be found at your local Home Depot or Lowes and is one of many available commercial repellents.
Bat Removal Devices
Bat removal devices are used in the exclusion method as a way to get rid of bats. This technique is recommended by bat conservationists and removal experts. It’s also the most useful method if you have a colony of bats in your home.
This method requires setting up one way exit devices and sealing all other points of entry. Bats can leave your home, but they can’t come back in.
Batcone II Reusable Bat Exclusion
The Batcone II Reusable Bat Exclusion is easy to install and is reusable. Bats can exit your house however they are not able to reenter. Its a one way door for bats and once the bats or bat colony leaves you can seal up any bat entry points.
You can find bat exclusion devices, netting, screening, and cones at home improvement and pet stores.
As a way to find where bats enter and exit your home, look for dark spots around cracks and holes. Bats have oils on their fur that rub off and stain fascia boards and soffits. Chimney tops, vents, and window cracks are all common and convenient bat access locations.
After you’ve set up your bat exclusion devices and repaired potential entry sites, watch for the bats at dusk. Look for bats exiting and ensure they’re not re-entering through the bat exclusion devices or anywhere else in your home.
If the setup works, leave it in place for at least a week. Once all of the bats have relocated, remove the bat exclusion devices and seal off those areas.
We recommend using polyurethane foam and caulk. This is important because bats have great memories and will try to come back and roost at your home.
Bat Removal Cost
The cost of bat removal varies widely by area, so we recommend calling around for the best price. If you’re on a budget, Bat World Sanctuary has a list of volunteer rescuers who will help you get rid of bats for free.
Bats bite when they feel threatened or scared, and some bats carry rabies. You can try removing the bats yourself. Some people however may not be comfortable with removing bats on their own.
In this case, calling a professional isn’t a bad idea. Not to mention many of the methods we discussed may require the use of a tall ladder.
Post Bat Removal
Repellents methods are only as good as what you do after the bats are gone. To keep the bat colony away, you must fill the small holes and make any repairs to prevent them from getting into wall voids, crawl spaces, gable vents, behind shutters, or into attics.
Install a Bat Box or Bat House
Remember, bats can fit into holes as small as a quarter. Installing bat boxes or a bat house nearby may also keeps bats away by giving them an alternative place to nest.
Bat Problem? Try Removing Bat Food Sources
Another good idea is to try to identify the surrounding bat food sources. Can you address or remove those food areas? Depending on the type of bat, they may eat fruit, pollen, nectar, insects, bugs, or spiders.
Bat Removal Do It Yourself
Removing bats from your house is no easy task. Some of these methods of bat repellents may work better than others, and a combination of techniques may work the best.
If you’re still on the fence about do it yourself bat removal, consult with a bat rescuer or call a professional because your safety comes first. No matter which method of bat repellents you decide to use to humanely rid your home of these flying mammals, we’re cheering you on!
