Are Bats Destroying Your Attic?

How Can Bats Damage My Home?

Bats aren’t much of a problem in small numbers. When the colony grows in size, real problems arise, most of which are related to guano accumulation. Even if your attic contains only a few bats, you should take care of it as soon as possible. Guano will begin to seep into the structure of your home and can spread disease or weaken the building materials.

Thousands of bats can accumulate over time, and this is where the expensive problems begin. Bats can cause a wide range of issues in homes, from minor cosmetic damage to complete insulation contamination. If you believe bats have infested your attic, contact wildlife removal experts before costly damage can occur.

Are The Bats In My Attic Spreading Disease?

The most serious concern about having bats in the attic is the accumulation of guano, or bat droppings, which can help diseases spread. Guano creates an ideal environment for the growth of the fungal spores that cause Histoplasmosis, a respiratory disease. When spores accumulate in the droppings, they become airborne and can be inhaled by residents.

Bats are also known to be rabies carriers. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to observe a bat for rabies visually. The only way to discover if a bat has rabies is to have the animal tested in a wildlife lab. To be safe, stay away from any bats in your home and allow wildlife professionals the handle the situation.

Property owners should contact trained wildlife specialists to properly remove the animals from their homes and clean up their dangerous droppings. Bat control experts are equipped with bacteria-proof equipment that will keep them safe during the guano decontamination process. If an untrained person attempts the removal of guano, it may result in the spread of Histoplasmosis to humans or pets. ¹Go To Source cdc.gov -“Bats”

What Damage Will Bat Guano Cause?

Contrary to popular belief, bats will not chew through building materials. Bats will not scratch or claw at the materials in your attic, so don’t expect them to destroy your boards, wiring, or siding. They have sharp teeth, but they are for catching insects.

On the other hand, their guano and urine will build up over time, resulting in waste dripping through ceilings, destroying insulation, and soaking through sheetrock or particleboard, eventually causing the structure’s interior to collapse. That’s why it is crucial to remove bats in the attic before large amounts of guano can accumulate.

Do Bats Produce Strong Odors?

As bat excrement decomposes in attics, wall spaces, and other voids, it emits an unpleasant odor. Outside a building with a large or long-term colony, the pungent, musty, acrid odor is often detectable. When animals die in inaccessible locations, similar odor issues arise. The odor also attracts arthropods, which can later infest other areas of a structure.

Bats also urinate and defecate while flying, causing spotting and staining on building sides, windows, patio furniture, automobiles, and other objects near entry/exit holes or beneath roosts.

Who Can Repair Bat Damage?

Bats can wreak havoc on your home’s structure, attic, and insulation. They have a habit of leaving a massive mess of harmful guano inside, putting your loved one’s health and wellness in jeopardy. We recommend that wildlife removal professionals perform bat removal, damage repair, and guano clean-up.

Trained technicians come with peace of mind that the repairs will be performed correctly and all harmful bacteria is removed from the home. If you need bats removed or their dropping decontaminated, give Best Way Animal Removal a call right away! Our wildlife technicians are also restoration experts that can complete all repairs from insulation replacement to shingle repair.

Sources:

1. “CDC – Bats and Rabies – Rabies.” Center For Disease Control, 22 Apr. 2011, www.cdc.gov/rabies/bats/index.html.