Fun Bat Facts for Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2019 by admin

Bats have been a major part of Halloween for over 100 years, ever since Bram Stoker’s 1887 Dracula depicted a Vampire turning into a bat. So as an homage to our favorite spooky mascot, this Halloween, learn some exciting and educational facts about bats! Share them with your friends and family for some extra spooky enjoyment! However, be warned, you might actually discover that bats are not as scary as you once thought!

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🧛 Vampire Bats Will Not Suck Your Blood.

Three species of vampire bats are known to exist around the world. These three species of bats do not actually “suck” blood from other mammals. They will, however, lick it up after emitting a bite to a cow or other large warm-blooded animal.

🦇 Bats are the Only Mammal That Can Fly.

Many people do not realize that bats are in fact, mammals; and on top of that, the only mammals that can actually fly. They have wings similar to the anatomy of a human hand, with elongated fingers connected by a stretchy membrane. They are amazing during flight. They are fast and swift, using propulsion to push forward using their airfoil thin wings.

🦗 A Bat Can Eat 1,000 Insects Per Hour.

Bats have insatiable appetites and can eat up to 200 tons of insects each night. That is am estimated 1,000 insects or more, in just one hour! Bats like to eat mosquitoes, moths, flies, gnats, and similar nocturnal flying insects.

📡 Bats Use Echolocation to Hunt for Prey.

Bats are not blind, but they do not have great vision, especially in the dark. Bats have a built-in sonar system called Echolocation, to help them navigate around at night, and accurately dart and dive for prey. Bats are not the only animals who use echolocation. Dolphins and whales are well-known echolocating species, too!

📊 Bats Make Up Nearly 25% of Mammals.

There are more than 900 species of bats in the world, all broken up into different categories and classifications. The Chiroptera Order is the first class in which bats are categorized. From there they are split into suborders, genera, and then species.

So Did You Learn Something New?

Now that you have reviewed some of the most interesting and impressive educational facts about bats, what do you think of them now? They are actually incredible and amazing mammals that do wonders for our local Eco-systems, economies, and more!

So the next time you see a bat flying around your house, simply keep your distance and throw them a “thanks” for all their wonderful contributions. If you are experiencing nuisance bat problems in or around your house, contact a local Louisville bat removal company for safe and humane assistance.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control You Can Trust

Call 502-553-7622 to request a free estimate for Louisville bat removal services, today. We offer a wide range of safe and humane bat removal and control services for both residential and commercial properties within Central Kentucky, at the most competitive prices in town. That means you can get affordable bat removal and control you can trust. It was over 30 years of experience under our belts, you can feel confident in our results.

Top 5 Indications That You Have a Bat Infestation

Posted on November 13, 2018 by admin

Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

One of the most incredibly fascinating facts about bats is that they are the only mammals on Earth that can actually fly! Unfortunately, this gift of flight is what gives them easy access to residential and commercial real estate. This time of year, bats are searching for warm shelters to roost and hibernate for the winter. Common target areas include high-up places, like attics and roofs, where bats can make a safe, warm home for the season.

Why are Bat Infestations a Big Deal?

First, bat species that are native in the Kentucky region are not solitary mammals. This means they come in large quantities. Now combine a large colony of bats with the type of destruction they cause, and you instantly have a costly and frustrating situation on your hands. You see, once bats get inside, their natural behaviors of feeding, breeding, and nesting, negatively impacts the overall value and structural integrity of a property.

The longer a bat infestation goes unnoticed, the more damage they do. Their droppings will saturate and soil everything it comes into contact with, and even start to seep into walls and ceilings, and lead to foul, lingering odors. Sheet rock, ceilings, dry wall, insulation, roof shingles, siding, and more can also be damaged by bat infestations and nesting.

How to Look for Signs of Nuisance Bat Activity

If you suspect that you have a bat problem, contact a licensed Louisville bat removal and control company for prompt and professional wildlife abatement services. If you are not sure whether or not you have bats around, do a brief inspection of your property to look for the common signs of a bat infestation. Here’s what to look for:

🔎 Strange Noises

Bats are nocturnal, so you will not be very successful listening for noises at night. This is when they leave their roosts and hunt for insects. Instead, do your investigating during the early morning hours when they are returning to their roosts. Listen carefully to the walls, ceilings, and attics for odd noises of activity. Bat noises generally sound like fluttering, squeaking, screeching, chattering, and shuffling.

🔎 Guano Accumulation

Aside from actually seeing bats, the most distinct indication of a bat infestation is finding accumulations of bat droppings, also known as guano. You may see mouse-like droppings around window sills and eaves, since bats like to perch in these areas when coming and going from their roosts. You may also find piles of guano in the attic, crawl space, or garage areas. Bat guano is similar to rodent droppings, except it is shiny and speckled from digested insect parts.

🔎 Stains and Odors

When bat urine and guano accumulate in large masses within a roost, eventually the odors and liquids will seep into the living areas of the property. Walls and ceilings are common areas where droppings will stain. If you have brown or yellow shaded stains on your ceilings or walls, it is a strong indication of a bat infestation above.

🔎 Milky Liquid on Windows

As mentioned, bats like to perch on window sills and eaves. And in these areas, you might find milky urine stains dripping down the windows. These stains will also be sticky and odorous, and attract other pests, like gnats and flies.

🔎 Stains Around Entry Holes

Bats fur contains a natural oil that can retain dirt, and as a result, leave behind grease-like stains around their entry and exit points. If you see small gaps, openings, or holes with dirty smudges around them, it is very likely that you’ve found a bat roost.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control

Louisville Bat Removal 502-553-7622

Call 553-502-7622 for prompt and professional bat removal services in Louisville, Kentucky and its surrounding areas. We are DNR licensed bat removal contractors that offer safe and non-lethal, 24 hour bat extraction and exclusion services for residential and commercial properties. We also provide bat cleanup and minor attic restorations for bat damages too. Request a free estimate, anytime.

How to Help a Grounded Bat

Posted on August 20, 2018 by admin

If you live on a wooded lot, especially near a body of water, it is likely that you will come across a wild animal every now and again. Finding a stranded or injured animal can be heart wrenching, but it is more important to put your own interests above the animals for the sake of your safety. This is especially true for animals that are known carriers of infectious diseases, like bats.

Continue reading to learn what you should do if you ever find a bat on the ground.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

Finding a bat on the ground is rather common in forested or wooded areas. There are many reasons why bats are found this way, including sickness, injury, abandonment, isolation, and more. Although you need to ensure your own protection first and foremost, there are ways you can help a stranded bat without jeopardizing your safety.

First an Important Warning!

NEVER, under any circumstances, attempt to touch, handle, move, tamper with, trap, or harm a bat. Not only is it unsafe for both humans and bats, it is illegal in most states. This is the most important fact you need to know about finding a bat.

Here is What You Should Do Instead:

❶ Isolate Potential Predators

Upon discovering a bat on the ground, your first task is to separate any predators. You can’t move the bat, but you can control possible threats, like cats and dogs, or any other wandering pets. You might also go a step further and monitor the bat to protect it from other types of predators, such as fire ants, birds, and snakes.

❷ Protect Surrounding People

If you are on your own property, warn your family and their friends to stay clear of the vicinity of the bat. If your property happens to be near a public area, like a sidewalk or playground, take the necessary precautions to warn people that a stranded bat is nearby. This can help passing folks avoid taking their dogs on a walk in that area, or allowing children to play. Hang signs or contact the local neighborhood association.

❸ Contact a Wildlife Rescue and Control Company

If you approach the bat and it remains still, that does not mean you can safely get closer. Avoid getting within a few feet of the grounded bat at all times. If the bat shows signs of distress or panic, or appears injured in any way, immediately contact a licensed and insured Louisville Bat Removal Company for emergency wildlife extraction and relocation services.

If you approach the bat and it remains still, it could be a sign that it is dying or sick. Bats often isolate themselves from their colonies when close to death. In this case, it is best to let nature take its course. If the bat poses a threat to pets or family, a wildlife rescue and control specialist can extract the bat for you.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control

Louisville Bat Removal 502-553-7622

Call 502-553-7622 for prompt and professional Louisville bat removal you can trust. We are DNR licensed and insured wildlife rescue and control professionals with more than two decades of experience working with bats. We offer residential and commercial abatement services, including minor attic restorations for bat damages. Request a free estimate, today.

Unfair Misconceptions About Bats

Posted on May 24, 2018 by admin

For a long time, wild bats have been misrepresented in books, television, and media. They are portrayed as aggressive, scary, diseased rodents that will attack you and infect you with Rabies. It is unfair that bats have been labeled with this harmful (and outrageously incorrect) stigma, especially since they are such an important part of our eco-system. They are truly special animals that deserve to be represented accurately.

Continue reading to clear up some of the most common misconceptions about wild bats, and who to trust for professional bat removal and control information near you.

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Common Misunderstandings:

“Bats are Rodents.”

This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Bats are not rodents, they are mammals. In fact, they are more closely related to humans than they are rats and mice! Furthermore, bats are one of the most special mammals because they are the only mammals capable of true flight. Sure, other mammals can float or soar; but bats can actually fly like birds. And they are the ONLY mammal that can!

“Bats Have Rabies.”

Although bats are known carriers of several infectious diseases, like many other mammals, they are not all rabid. In fact, the vast majority of bats are not infected with the Rabies virus. This does not mean that you should attempt to approach, touch, capture, or trap a bat. They can still carry other diseases and parasites that can be quite harmful to people and pets.

“Bat Will Suck Your Blood.”

This is a silly misconception that probably stems from Dracula stories. However, out of more than 1,300 species worldwide, there are only 3 species of Vampire bat that do consume blood, and only one of those species consumes the blood of other mammals. These Vampire bats are native to Latin America, and the species that targets mammals prefers livestock like pigs, cows, horses, and goats; all of which do not mind one bit. The cut they make is so tiny the animal does not feel it, and they barely consume enough blood for the animal to notice.

Furthermore, the bat species that consumes mammal blood does not “suck” the blood. Instead, they lap it up with their tongues. Their saliva has an anticoagulant agent in it that prevents the cut from closing up until they are finished eating. This same anticoagulant has been developed into a medication that helps prevent strokes in humans!

“Bats Will Attack.”

First of all, bats are more afraid of us than we are of them. Secondly, bats are much too agile and smart to come close to a human, let alone get tangled in their hair or scratch up their face. Bats are very unlikely to attack unless they are provoked. A bat that is easily approachable is either sick or injured, both of which can make a bat more defensive and unpredictable. So long as you do not attempt to touch or harm a bat, there is little to no chance they will attack.

“Bats are Blind.”

Although people have used this idiom for hundreds of years, it still rings untrue. Bats are not blind at all. In fact, both suborders of bats see quite well, other than color. This is especially true for Flying Fox or Fruit bats, which have a large visual cortex. Microchiroptera bats, now categorized in the Yangochiroptera suborder, use a biological sonar system called “echolocation.” It’s true they can see just as good as the next mammal, but their echolocating abilities enhance their night vision and allow them to dart and dive for insects with astounding precision.

“Bats are Pests That Should Be Exterminated.”

Out of all the misconceptions that should be cleared up, this is the most important one. Although bats can be nuisances to home and property owners, they are not pests and they should NEVER be harmed or killed under any circumstances. Bats are a vital part of our surrounding Eco-systems. Not only do they play a major role in forest and jungle pollination, they are critical to insect and mosquito control. A single bat can consume more than 1,000 flies, gnats, and mosquitoes in a single night. This makes for a very comfortable backyard and park! Furthermore, bats are a federally-protected mammal, so there are laws against harming or capturing them without proper permits and licenses.

If you have a nuisance bat problem, contact a local Louisville bat removal company for safe, humane, and non-lethal bat extraction and relocation services. They have the experience, knowledge, and resources to promptly remove and relocate a bat to a safe and faraway habitat.

100% Non-Lethal Bat Removal and Control in Louisville

Louisville Bat Removal 502-553-7622

Call 502-553-7622 to request a free estimate for Louisville bat removal and control, today. We offer a wide range of bat removal and control services for both residential and commercial properties, at the most competitive prices in town. That means you can get affordable bat removal and control you can trust. With over 30 years of experience under our belts, you can feel confident in our results. Request a free estimate, anytime.

What To Do If You Find a Bat on the Ground

Posted on March 26, 2018 by admin

Louisville Bat Removal 502-553-7622

Finding a grounded bat is not an everyday occurrence, but it does happen. Bats become grounded for many reasons, whether they are injured from falling out of tree or lost from their mothers. One of the main causes for a grounded bat is illness. It is common for sick bats to isolate themselves from the rest of the colony and find a secluded place to die. For this reason, you should never attempt to touch, tamper, or transport a bat. Continue reading to learn more about stranded bats and what you should do if you ever come across one in nature.

Grounded Bats

As mentioned, one of the most common reasons why a bat is alone on the ground is illness. Rabies and other diseases will trigger a bat’s biological instincts to separate itself from the rest of the group and die alone in a secluded area. When a person comes across a bat on the ground, illness could very well be the reason why. This is especially true if the bat is NOT a baby.

Baby bats, known as kits, are often lost when mothers decide to move their nest from one place to another. During the move, baby bats can fall from trees and left behind by their mothers. Other times, baby bats are victims of predator interference, and may have been picked up and dropped by a hawk or owl. Regardless of why a bat is alone on the ground, the primary rule of thumb is to leave it alone.

What To Do

If you have found a lone bat on the ground, your job is to assess the risk it poses to its surroundings. A bat is a safety risk whether it is sick or not; so if you find one that seems stuck or stranded, it is important that the bat is removed as soon as possible. Not only can it potentially harm another person or pet, it can attract other species of wildlife, which can impose additional safety concerns and hazards.

⛹ Populated Areas:

If you are in an area that is frequented by the public, such as a park, playground, neighborhood, pond, or your own property, it is important to immediately contact a professional Louisville Bat Removal and Control Company to have the bat safely and humanely relocated.

❦ In Nature:

If you are in an area of nature that is not typically frequented by people or pets, such as the forest or woods, it is best to just keep walking and ignore a grounded bat. Although it may not be what your heart instinctively wants to do, it is important to let nature take its course in this case.

Important Note: Never attempt to keep a bat (or any stray wild animal) as a pet. Not only is this incredibly inhumane and unfair to the bat, it is against the law in most states.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control

Louisville Bat Removal 502-553-7622

Call 502-553-7622 for Louisville bat removal and control you can trust. We are DNR licensed and insured bat control contractors who use safe, non-lethal methods of extraction and exclusion. We serve both residential and commercial clients, and at the most competitive prices in town. Emergency 24 hour service is also available. Request a free estimate, today.