How Bats Get In a Home and the Issues They Cause

Believe it or not, bats are great animals for the environment. They control pests, pollinate plants, and disperse seeds. However, although they are beneficial for the ecosystem as a whole, they are not beneficial inside your home. They not only can cause expensive damage to your home, but they can also negatively affect the health of everyone inside your home. But how do these creatures end up inside one’s home, and just how much damage can they cause?

Points of Entry

Open Windows and Framing

It might seem obvious, but it’s not unlikely that the bats inside your home got there through an open window. Whether you like to cool down a room in the evenings or keep it open when you sleep, bats can take advantage of this opportunity to come inside your home. The risk of this happening increases right after pupping season when inexperienced bats drift away from their parents.

Chimneys

Does your home have a chimney? It may be the point of entry for the bats currently living in your home. While some bats prefer to dwell in the chimney because of the abundance of food like insects and spiders, others will use your chimney as a corridor to enter other, more comfortable areas of a building. 

Vents

If your home does not have a chimney, it’s possible that bats made their way inside through the vents. Vents are the second most common entry point for bats. Like chimneys, vents have an abundance of edible insects, as well as warmth and protection from the outside world. 

Issues They Can Cause

Structural Damage

Bats have the potential to destroy your home. Although they do not chew on buildings, their excrement and urine will accumulate over time and cause waste to drip through ceilings, insulation, sheetrock, and more. Over time, this waste dripping can destroy your home’s interior so badly that the entire structure collapses. 

Bat Mites

Often mistaken for bed bugs, bat mites can be introduced into your home because of bats. Once they enter your home, they will look for a human host. Although bat mites do not transmit disease-causing pathogens to humans, their bites can cause anxiety, insomnia, and panic to sensitive individuals.

Spread Diseases

Bats, like other animals, can carry rabies and other diseases. Bats rarely bite humans, but if they do, the victim is at risk of catching rabies. Additionally, the feces of a bat carries spores for Histoplasmosis, a disease that mainly affects the lungs of people, especially those with immunity disorders. 

Get Rid of Bats in Your Home Today!

Bay Area Wildlife is here to help you get rid of pesky bats in your home. Our trained animal removal specialists will safely and humanely remove bats from your home so you can regain your peace of mind. Contact us to schedule an appointment.