Habits of Bats

During warm weather, bats feed on flying insects in the late afternoon and early morning. They are not normally active during bright daylight. If you see a bat during daylight hours it has either been disturbed from its roost or it is sick!
When not in flight, they rest in dark hiding and roosting places; caves, buildings, and hollow trees. Bats are able to enter these places through holes as small as 3/8" in diameter or just slightly larger than a pencil.
Bats locate and capture insects by the use of echolocation; they emit a high-frequency sound inaudible to humans, it's similar to sonar. They communicate with each other by making squeaking sounds.
Most bats either migrate or hibernate when the weather turns cold. They breed from late spring to early summer and the young can fly in 3-7 weeks.

Bats are associated with a few diseases that affect people; Rabies and Histoplasmosis.
1. Always wear heavy leather gloves when handling bats.
2. If bitten, capture the bat without crushing its head.
3. Refrigerate it, but DON"T freeze it!
4. Take it to the nearest Health Department for testing.
5. Use care when working in bat roosting sites; dust masks,

coveralls, and gloves are a must!

Entry and Exit points

1. Loose flashing, vents, shingles, or siding.

2. Openings under eaves and soffits, at cornices, louvers, and doors, by chimneys and windows and where pipes and wires enter the building.

Eyes, Ears, and Nose Work

• Look for droppings under openings, smudges around holes, and odors that seem concentrated in certain areas.

• Look for bats exiting an hour before to an hour after sunset. Try to observe all sides of the roof.

• Listen for squeaking just prior to the bats taking flight.

• If it is rainy or chilly they may not come out.

• Look in attics and unused rooms during daylight.

• Look inside chimneys and vents.

• Look behind shutters.

• Look for bat droppings. They will be found below roosting sites. The droppings look like mouse droppings but they are slightly bigger and look shiny (they contain wings, legs, and other insect body parts).

Precautions

1. June, July, and August are when the young are being reared and may crawl or flutter into your living space. Work on sealing interior cracks during this time.
2. Late fall to early spring is the best time to bat-proof the exterior of a building. If it must be done before then wait at least until early September depending on the weather.
3. Carefully determine the bats' exit and entrance holes, leave these open until you have filled all the other cracks.
4. Attach netting above the remaining holes, allowing it to drape down over the hole. Wait at least three nights or more and then seal the remaining holes.
5. Bat-proofing done incorrectly will trap the bats inside causing them to die, rot and smell.