Bat Identification & Prevention

Bats are winged mammals, not a type of bird. Like other mammals, they give birth to live young, nurse their young, and have bodies covered in hair- in their case, brown or black fur. Their distinctive wings have a piece of leathery skin that attaches to their front and back legs. Bats also have large ears that allow them to be successful hunters by helping them detect their insect prey. These mammals are primarily nocturnal and typically are most active between the hours of dusk and dawn.

While movies may want you to believe that bats are a constant threat to people and out to feed on our blood, the good news is they are not. In fact, most species of bats feed on insects, not people!

Though we don't need to be overly worried about bats, they pose some threats, and keeping them away from our homes and families is important. Bats can bite us (usually only when we corner them), and if a bite were to occur, they could spread a disease like rabies, which can cause serious illness.

Bats also carry parasites in their fur that they can introduce into your home.

The most significant health risk associated with bats is a fungus in their guano (excrement) called Histoplasma capsulatum, which can trigger lung disease in people.

When living in or near our homes, the eco-importance of controlling insect populations is outweighed by their potential dangers.

Bats are most problematic on properties that provide ample food and water sources. Wooded areas and properties with many trees and a lot of vegetation tend to be most attractive to bats because those areas are most attractive to their insect prey.

Homeowners typically first notice a problem with bats after seeing them darting around exterior lights, swooping down around a pool, or flying around standing water, all areas where there is likely insect activity.

Bats prefer to roost in dark, isolated locations during the day, emerging from their resting spots at night to hunt.

Fortunately for the bats, but unfortunately for us, our homes can provide them with safe roosting spots. They enter through chimneys, small gaps in roof intersections, or gaps around windows or doors. Once inside, common roosting spots are wall voids, vents, chimneys, and attic spaces.

Some of the most common signs that bats may be roosting in your home include hearing scratching sounds behind walls or above ceilings, seeing them moving to and from your home's exterior, and finding piles of their excrement (guano) in or around your home.

The best way to control bats in your Wilmington home is to partner with a professional. Professionals know the bats common to their region and how to find their roosting spots, remove them, and prevent them from returning.

Delmar Pest Control offers effective and humane bat control through our wildlife control services. Please call today to learn more about removing unwanted bats from your Wilmington or surrounding Delaware, Pennsylvania, or Maryland property. You can count on us to take care of all your pest control needs!

To help avoid problems with bats on your property, you need to make it difficult for them to feel at home. Make the most of the following bat prevention tips.

• Seal holes in the roofline to keep bats from roosting in your house.
• Keep screens over vents and chimneys to keep pests out of your home.
• Remove standing water that will provide a water source for bats and the bugs they like to eat.
• Cut back trees and shrubbery from your house.
• Place bat houses at the perimeter edge of your property to entice them to roost away from your home.

For more information about bat control in Wilmington, please call today.