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Michiana Bat Removal & Control Service
Bat Guano Clean up
Humane Bat Removal and Guaranteed Prevention
St Joseph Michigan St Joseph Indiana
269-429-9821 800-934-7454
St Joseph, New Buffalo, Bridgman, Buchanan, Niles, Berrien, Grand Beach, Harbert, Lakeside, Michiana, Union Pier, Stevensville, Baroda, Coloma
South Bend, Granger, LaPorte, Michigan City, Lakeville, New Carlisle, Knox, North Liberty, Walkerton, Osceola, Mishawaka, Elkhart, Goshen
How do you find a Bat in the house? Start by evaluating the risks. How long has the bat been in the house and where was it seen? Were sleeping people or small children exposed to the bat during the night? Were there pets, with up to date rabies shots exposed? If there was exposure the bat should be tested for rabies at your local County Health Department.
What is exposure? The bat touching you is exposure. Every part of a bats body has a razor sharp tooth, claw or hook. At this point there are bat conservationists accusing me of scare tactics. Let me tell you this, no one loves bats more than I do. We hand feed bats, on the wing, while trout fishing at night. We turn away many customers demanding bat exclusions during birthing season every year. We’ve founding Members of Bat Conservation International.
After realizing the repercussions of the diseased die off of bats on the East Coast in 2010 we all should appreciate bats for the harmonious creatures they are. With that said: they still creep me out while opening folds in curtains etc looking for them. I haven’t had the rabies vaccine like our employees so I ONLY go on serious emergency calls.
Fox News covered us capturing and euthanizing a colony of rabid bats in 2009.
There were about 250 bats in the colony. We found 16 dead bats up stairs in the apartment house. Nobody followed up with us to find out just how many bats actually had rabies. I knew then the figure of less than 1% of bats has rabies, which everyone throws around, has been pulled out of a bat conservationist wish bag. Dozens of rabid animals are recorded through out Michigan and Indiana every year and almost all are bats. Unfortunately a 10 year old girl died of rabies in Indiana in 2006. From years of experience, I think the percent of bats with rabies statistics are seriously skewered.
When a bat contracts rabies they start biting other bats in the colony just like many raccoon families we’ve found. Soon all but the carriers of the disease are dead and like the tree that falls with on one to hear it, NO rabid bats are officially recorded.
Now that you understand the risks, start by looking small. Most people see the bat flying and automatically look for an animal that’s big like when its wings were spread out. Bats are about the size of a mouse when not flying so look for something small.
Bats have a very hard time taking off from the ground like a bird, so they climb up and launch off, to start flying. If they have a good hiding spot during the day they may stay there all day, but toward night they will climb up walls, drapes, blinds, curtains to launch at dusk.
Do not stand directly under the bat when trying to capture it. When spooked they launch and drop before the first couple flaps of their wings to gain altitude. Even if they don’t bite you they have a sharp hook on the ends of their wings and very sharp claws they will use to push off you, if they fall on you, while launching.
One of the best capture methods is using a sandwich size Tupperware container with a lid. Cover the bat with the bottom and slide the lid between the surface and the container trapping the bat inside. If the bat will be tested for rabies, just seal the lid and take the bat to the County Health Dept. in that container. Or you can release it if you wish. I don’t like the “we opened all the doors and windows with the lights on” approach. You loose track of the bat and assume it flew out after you don’t see it flying for a while. Then there’s another bat discovered the next night and they’re not sure if it’s the original bat or not.
Bats never live in crawl spaces or basements. When bats are found there, or they fly up to the living quarters from the basement, you have a colony of bats living in the attic. Bats are born in the spring and stay inside the attic until August when they start flying and exploring the attic, crawling around like a mouse. They feel the air currents moving up the inner walls of the house, where the pipes and wires run, then crawl down to investigate as teenagers will. Soon they are lost in your basement or crawlspace.
Bat noises in the attic or chimney can be heard by many people. Bats chirping or scratching can be heard between the floors and walls. Bats can see and hear very well and communicate by squeaking.
Don’t take chances with bats inside your home. Call us to find the bat and give the home a very through inspection for a bat colony sharing the home.
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