What Bats Are Afraid of: 5 Ways to Drive Them Out Without Harm

Reasons for the appearance of bats

In the wild, bats live mainly in caves and are not able to build nests for themselves.

Every year there are fewer and fewer such natural shelters, so the animals are forced to seek refuge in other, unusual places for them.

Bats found a way out and began to settle near the human dwelling. Most of all, bats have chosen the following places:

How dangerous are bats to humans?

Despite popular belief, bats do not show aggression towards humans without a good reason.

Unlike their crawling counterparts, they do not harm food supplies, electrical wiring, walls, furniture, and other things.

Neighborhood with bats does not pose a serious danger to humans, but it can cause some inconvenience:

• noise. Winged neighbors who settled in the attic will disturb people every night with their squeak and rustle;
• dirt and bad smell. In their habitat, bats leave a large amount of feces that exude a strong, unpleasant odor;
• spread of diseases and pests. Bat droppings may contain pathogens of infectious and viral diseases, as well as larvae of various parasites;
• roof integrity. Animals that are located under the roof, sooner or later, can harm the waterproofing and insulation.

Why you can't use poison and kill bats

Bats may be useful.

It is impossible to fight bats with poisons, at least due to the fact that in many countries these animals are listed in the Red Book. In addition, the restoration of the population of these animals is quite slow. For a year, a female can bring a maximum of 1-3 cubs.

The presence of bats on the site can also bring many benefits:

• these flying animals destroy a huge number of flies and mosquitoes;
• bats help in the pollination of many plants, both wild and cultivated;
• bats spread the seeds of wild fruits, thereby preserving ancient species and promoting the emergence of new ones.

What to do if bats are a nuisance

If a peaceful neighborhood with bats is still impossible, then it is worth finding a humane way and trying to resettle the animals. However, it is worth doing everything very carefully so as not to harm them.

How to determine exactly where bats settled

Bats are able to penetrate even the smallest holes, 1,5-2 cm wide. You can determine the exact location of their habitat by following them in the evening, after sunset. At this time, the animals leave their shelter and go hunting.

Bats are nocturnal animals.

What time can you start fighting bats

Most often, bats settle under the roofs of human houses only for the summer period. Such temporary colonies consist mainly of females who seek shelter to give birth and nurse their young. But, some species settle down and live next to a person all year round.

How to chase away bats

It is quite realistic to get rid of unwanted neighbors on the site without harming them, and there are several effective methods for this.

Mechanical method

Bat.

This method is one of the most effective and simple. After the animals leave their shelter, it is necessary to board up all possible holes and crevices in order to prevent them from returning. At the same time, it is very important to make sure that no one is left inside the dwelling.

Another effective method is installation of means of one-way departure. Such structures will allow bats to leave the shelter, but will not allow them to return.

The installation of such “doors” must be carried out only after the cubs of bats grow up and are able to get out on their own and get food for themselves.

Otherwise, the parents will not be able to return to their babies, and they will die a slow and painful death.

Repellent repellents

The most effective method for harassing bats is to use repellents. Naphthalene balls help very well in this matter.

The sharp unpleasant smell of these balls will scare away the animals and force them to leave the home. In order to properly place them under the roof, you should make small bags of gauze and hang them near the habitats of bats.

Such bags must be changed every 2-3 days, as the smell emitted by the balls weakens over time and does not give the desired effect.

smoking out

To drive bats out of the attic, you can use ordinary smoker. In order for the animals to leave the building, you will have to treat the room with smoke for several days in a row. After the bats stop appearing in the attic, you must immediately close all the cracks and openings to prevent a new invasion.

Another effective way is candles from ground red pepper and sulfuric powder. Such candles are placed in a deep metal container, set on fire and left in the attic. After the candle begins to smoke, you should immediately leave the room, otherwise you can get burns of the mucous membranes.

Ultrasonic repellers

These devices are safe and very easy to use. The high-frequency sound emitted by repellers irritates bats and makes them uncomfortable.

In order for the use of such devices to bring the desired effect, you should choose high-quality models that have proven themselves in the market.

Use of bright lights

Installing permanent lighting inside and outside the attic is unlikely to please bats. The bright light will blind the animals and prevent them from getting inside their shelter. In addition, bats always settle in dark places and the presence of lighting will sooner or later make them leave.

Bats do not like bright light.

What to do if a bat flew into the window of an apartment building

Most often, young individuals who are just learning to fly fly into the windows of residential buildings. This does not happen often, and if, nevertheless, a bat got into the room, you must perform the following steps:

1. Remove small children and pets from the room.
2. Turn off the light in the room, open the window and leave the bat alone for 10-20 minutes. Most likely, the animal will calm down and be able to leave the room on its own.
   

   Bats are chased out at night.

3. If this does not help, and the animal is still in the room, you should wait until it sits on a flat surface and you can cover it with a box, jar or other suitable container. This should be done with gloves and very carefully to avoid animal bites.
4. After the bat is caught, it is necessary to insert thin plastic or thick cardboard between the surface and the trap, and release the animal to freedom. It is necessary to release the bat only at night, as it will be difficult for him to find shelter during the day.

Cleaning the premises after the expulsion of bats

After the bats leave their shelter, you should immediately start cleaning the premises from traces of their stay. Chiroptera leave behind a large amount of wool, excrement and insect shells.

When cleaning, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Use personal protective equipment: goggles, long gloves and respirators.
2. Moisten the dried excrement slightly with water. Due to this, less dust will rise during cleaning.
3. Wet excrement and animal hair must be carefully removed with a brush, broom or broom.
4. After cleaning, all surfaces in the room must be treated with a disinfectant.

A bat is not a mouse, but not yet a bird.

Prevention of the appearance of bats in the attic

After the bats have left the attic, all necessary measures must be taken to prevent it from being populated by a new colony of bats.

The following actions will help prevent the appearance of these animals:

• boarding up all the cracks and holes in the roof of the house;
• arrangement of a mesh cornice overhang on the roof;
• covering all ventilation openings with a fine mesh;
• regular inspection of non-residential, dark premises.

Conclusion

Bats are actually not the worst neighbors for humans, and without a strong need it is better not to disturb them. However, if bats still cause inconvenience, then it is necessary to get rid of them using humane methods. This will save the life and health of many Red Book species of these animals.