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 Bat Removal covered by homeowners insurance? Homeowner's insurance does not cover bat removal. Bat removal-bat proofing is the responsibility of the homeowner. The reason insurance companies will not cover the bat removal-bat proofing is because the infestation is a general maintenance issue (in the eyes of the all-mighty Insurance companies, anyway).
What does bat pee smell like? Bat excrement produces an unpleasant odor as it decomposes in attics, wall spaces, and other voids. The pungent, musty, acrid odor can often be detected from outside a building containing a large or long-term colony.
How small of a hole can a bat get through? Most often bats find their way into homes through cracks and crevices in building materials. Their small size makes it easy for bats to tuck themselves into even the smallest of gaps. They can squeeze through holes as small as 6 millimetres or about the size of a dime.
Bats become a nuisance when they roost in large numbers in human dwellings. The rapid accumulation of guano (bat droppings) is unsanitary, and serves as a fertile breeding ground for a fungal disease called Histoplasmosis, which is transferable to humans who breathe in the fungal spores.
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
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 ΒΌ inch by 3/8 of an inch) to enter buildings or to roost in attics.