Lets start by saying that I like bats. They are cute. They are mammals that fly, which is cool. They eat bugs, which is very cool etc.
However, bats most defiantely do not belong in my house.
last night was my second “bat in the house” incident in a little over a year.
The first bat, last summer, I believe came in through an open door. I cornered it in one room and used a broom to urge it out a window, and figured it was a one time thing.
But last night’s bat didn’t come in through a door. I have no idea how it got into my house. I don’t want bats to keep finding their way into my house (it’s stressful for me and the bat, and bats are a known rabies vector, so there’s a safety aspect as well), so I’d assume I need a professional of some kind to assess the house to determine how they might be getting in, and block their access.
Is an exterminator the right kind of professional? And if so how does one go about finding an exterminator? Will they all be versed in bats and other mammal-type pests or do some only do bugs? Is there some sort of governing or liscening body I can call for a recommendation? Any thing special to watch for or avoid?
Basically any advice is more then welcome. I live in eastern PA if that’s relevent to any answers.
I’m pretty sure that an exterminator is what you need. The only thing I could think of is the phone book. Make some calls. Make sure you ask what they would charge to come out and take a look, and what method of removal they would use, to see if it is trapping or poison, just so you know what’s being used in your house. Some exterminators offer “natural” poisons that are environmentally-friendly and not toxic.
To get into a house, a bat can get under a door, with 1/4 inch clearance, in a hole the size of a soda can opening, and just about any small crevice.
I would not call an exterminator as much as a pest remover…they would be cheaper as well I would think …
I am in Pennsylvania as well (although Central PA) and have had THREE bats in my house this summer, all without a clue as to how they got in. The first, I called the police, who told me I needed to call a pest control (but I’m sure they’d send an officer out if I got bit, or if I shot it with a gun). Instead, I called my landlord, who came over with a tennis racket and chased it out a window.
The other two, I found dead on my livingroom floor the following morning, courtesy of Maya the Bat Killer. (Please do not lecture me about cats killing bats, etc. Short of locking Maya in the closet overnight, there’s really nothing I can do about it, especially now.)
Still, I have no clue how they got in the house. All the windows have screens on them, and the doors are kept closed.
Phall, I think you’re lucky… my dog is absolutely terrified of anything that moves and isn’t human. Last night’s bat completely wigged him out… (I put him out in the yard until I dealt with the bat) there’s no way in hell he could kill one.
I don’t really need them dead, they are useful outside, I just really want to keep them out of the house to begin with.
I’ve lived in this same general area all my life, and the 2 bats in the last year or so are the first I’ve encountered indoors in more the 20 years.