How long can a bat live inside a house? 6 months. Generally, they enter the living quarters through unfinished basements, loose attic hatches, or through unlined cold air returns. It is a rare bat that simply flies through the front door as a random occurrence. Depending on the time of year and the climate, bats can live over 6 months without food and water.
What should I do if I find dead or dying bats, or if I observe bats with signs of White-nose Syndrome? If you find a dead or dying bat: Contact your state wildlife agency, file an electronic report in those states that offer this service, e-mail U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists in your area, or contact your nearest Fish and Wildlife Service field office to report your potential White-nose Syndrome (WNS) observations.
Is it bad to have bats around your house? Bat droppings, called guano, can cause health issues in humans, bats can get into the living area of a home, bat infestations left unchecked can lead to damage to the home as the weight of the guano can affect the attic floor/living quarters ceiling. The guano can also attract insects into the home.
Why are bats important? By eating insects, bats save U.S. agriculture billions of dollars per year in pest control. Some studies have estimated that service to be worth over $3.7 billion per year, and possibly as much as $53 billion. This value does not, however, take into account the volume of insects eaten by bats in forest ecosystems. U.S. Department of the Interior
Does one bat in the house mean more? One random bat in the house doesn't always mean anything. Most of the people that call us have had at least two or three instances of bats in the house over the last few years though. Multiple bats in your house is a very strong indication of an infestation. Most bat colonies found in houses are maternal colonies.
Bats are usually able to exist near human homes without making their presence known. However, with decreasing amounts of habitat available for bats (e.g., trees being cleared), bats may find their way into man-made structures. Bats use existing openings (cracks as small as 1 ¼ inch by 3/8 of an inch) to enter buildings or to roost in attics.
What to look for in a bat removal company
- Always perform a proper live exclusion.
- Never use poisons or fumigants or kill bats.
- Never use traps or attempt to relocate bats.
- Never do a removal during the maternity season.
- Seal all entry points shut with guarantee.
- Offer attic cleanup and decontamination.
- Properly licensed by the Indiana DNR and insured.