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.
Nocturnal Creatures: Understanding The Daytime Behavior Of Bats
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.
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.
Allergies And Diseases: Understand The Risks Of Bat Infestations
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.
In most cases, bats are not harmful to people, and they provide a benefit by eating mosquitoes and other harmful insects. But that doesn't mean you want them in your house. So, let's turn our attention to how you can give bats an eviction notice.
Professional Bat Exclusion: Call In The Experts Right Away!
When you find signs of bats in your attic and contact the experts at CP Bat Mitigation, what can you expect? What professional methods do we use to address bat infestations? We want to start by saying that we focus on allowing bats to leave your home. We don't use harmful techniques to control bats. We don't believe it is necessary. Our methods will allow bats to leave your home and provide you with a long-term solution you can trust.
First, we'll send a technician to your home to perform an inspection. During the examination, your technician will collect data regarding where guano is, where bats are hiding, and what openings they use to go in and out of your home. We then reduce the spaces bats are using to enter or exit and apply our patented exclusion device(s) to allow the bats to leave but not reenter. It may take six to eight weeks for the bats to exit through the exclusion device(s), and when they do, we return and seal the hole(s).
Bat mitigation like this provides long-term protection so that you are no longer targeted by bats each year as they seek out a hiding place from the heat of summer or the cold of winter. We also provide an attic restoration service to clean up things in your attic. If you'd like to learn more or request an inspection for your Sioux Falls home, call or connect with us through our contact page for assistance.
Preventing Future Bat Problems: Effective Techniques
After the bats are gone and after your residential bat exclusion services, what comes next? Often, nothing is needed. While bats may want to enter your attic, they will no longer have access. That means the bats will have to settle for your neighbor's attic. There is no better way to get long-lasting relief from bat infestations. But, if you decide to do more, you have a few options. Here are some effective techniques to reduce the risk of bats attempting to break into your home again.
Home repairs. While we perform exclusion services to prevent entry, some homes require more than we offer to prevent future bat problems if you have severe damage. You must hire a contractor or take the time to do the work necessary to address trouble spots. Replace rotting wood, seals around roof penetrations, vent soffits, damaged shingles, etc. Use expanding foam to fill structural voids, such as a gap between a chimney and your exterior wall or structural openings in your exterior walls. Use a caulking gun to seal the junctions where roofing materials meet, or wood timbers connect. Use mortar to cover gaps in brick or concrete.
Protect potential vulnerabilities. If you have an air conditioning unit that bats may pass through, consider replacing it or installing netting to keep them out. If your HVAC system has unprotected exhaust outlets, install covers to keep bats from entering.
Consider mosquito control for your property. Since bats love to eat mosquitoes, you can make your property less interesting simply by taking away one of their desired food choices. You can control mosquitoes by hiring a professional to treat your exterior during mosquito season or take the time to get rid of stagnant water resources in your yard to remove breeding sites mosquitoes require.
Bats don't make holes to get into your home. They exploit the ones that already exist. While CP Bat Mitigation can help by addressing critical openings to allow bats to leave and not return, sometimes more is needed. But this might not be the case for you. Contact us for a free inspection to have us check your home. We can correct a current bat problem or provide the information you need to prevent one. Every home is unique. Contact us today to learn how to keep bats out.
What Our Customers Are Saying
"John was over the morning after I made my initial call regarding bats. He was able to quickly identify the problem areas and built a fair quote to remove the bats. His knowledge is broad on his profession."
"Made a phone call, he showed up the next day with simple, effective advice and didn't try to up-sell any additional services. I would highly recommend."
"5 Stars!!!! John and his team made an unfortunate house-selling situation a great experience. John came and gave us an estimate within a day and was very friendly and knowledgeable. They fixed the bat issue and even took a look at our new place afterward. I definitely recommend contacting Central Plains if need help in this area. They provide a very professional service for a great value!"
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