How to Get Rid of Bats Behind Window Shutters

Bats are very tiny here in Kentucky, allowing them to take shelter in the teeniest, tiniest of places. One such place is right behind your window shutters. Bats like window shutter voids because they offer easy access, optimal privacy, and warmth through the colder days of the year. If you suspect that bats are roosting behind your window shutters, start looking for the signs of local bat activity to confirm their presence.

Continue reading to learn these signs, as well as, how to stop them roosting in your shutters for good.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control
Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

Signs of Roosting Bats

Bats are small, which makes them good at hiding, but are not very good at staying hid, as they tend to leave behind signs that reveal their presence. One of the most common and easiest-to-spot signs is their droppings, otherwise known as guano. Although bat guano is often mistaken for rodent droppings, you can quickly tell the difference by taking a closer look. Bat guano is much larger than rodent droppings, which are generally pellet-like. Bat droppings looks more similar to that of a small dog rather than a rodent. In most cases, they are in large accumulations, which is not typical of rodent droppings.

Another common sign of bats nearby is scratch marks or grease-like stains on the shutter faces. This indicates that bats are flying and rubbing against the shutters on a regular basis. Another sign is actually witnessing them enter behind your shutters. You can safely assume they have made a nest and intend on staying there for a long time if you see this happen.

How to Stop Bats From Coming Back

To get rid of bats roosting behind window shutters, your safest and most humane option would be to use their sense of smell against them. Bats hate scents that are strong-smelling and stinky, and will avoid them at all costs. During the daytime, make sure the void behind your shutters is empty, then stick some cedar wood chips inside. This will most certainly divert their interest in this spot. See our blog, “These Household Spices Can Keep Bats Away!” for some more scents bats hate.

If you check behind your shutters and there is a bat there, immediately walk away and contact a licensed Louisville bat removal company. There are several state and federal laws that govern bats, and you do not want to jeopardize your legal liability. Furthermore, some bats are federally-protected, such as the Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalist), which are common here in Kentucky. See our blog, “Kentucky Laws About Tampering With Wild Bats” to learn more laws about bats.

If your cedar wood chips do not seem to work, you can always remove your shutters for a year, and therefore, remove your location from their memory. Otherwise, your Louisville bat control specialist can help you make the proper environmental modifications and exterior renovations to ensure your property remains protected against nuisance wildlife like bats.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control at an Affordable Price

If bats are a nuisance in or around your property, contact 502-553-7622 for safe and humane bat removal services in Louisville, Kentucky. 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.

Where Can I Find Reliable Bat Control Service Near Me?

If you suspect you may have a colony of bats living inside your building or around our property, it is important to act fast. The longer bats reside within your property, the more damage will result, including health and safety threats. But keep in mind, bat removal is not a DIY job under any circumstances. It is vital to leave bat control duties in the hands of a trained professional, not just for safety, but also for legalities, home warranties, and much more. So, how do you know which company to trust for the job?

Continue reading to learn what you can do to ensure you are hiring a trusted and dependable company for bat removal and control services in your town.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control
Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

Qualities to Look for in a Bat Control Company

There are certain qualities to consider when searching for a dependable and honest bat removal and control company in your town, including credentials, amenities, and of course, local reputation. Such qualities can be an excellent indication of the integrity and reliability of the business. 

First, a dependable and trustworthy bat exclusion company should be licensed and insured, including a DNR licensed which is granted through the Department of Natural Resources. This indicates they are true, industry professionals.

The next quality to look for is experience. Be sure to inquire about a company or contractor’s experience in the field. There are many things to learn about wildlife exclusion, and choosing a company that has been doing bat removal for decades will certainly know what they are doing. A novice might make some rookie mistakes that cost you in the end.

Next, consider asking about their fleet equipment and methods they use to execute their services. It is important to know what kind of machines and tools will be used inside your home, as well as, how equipped they are to even do the job correctly. This is information you have every right to know before giving your money away.

A great quality to explore in a bat exclusion company is references.  Any professional company should have multiple references, testimonials, fan pages, or other sources of customer reviews to prove their merit. Be sure to investigate all these avenues before deciding on a company to trust.

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.

Why Homeowners Put Up Bat Houses

Bat houses are specially constructed shelters that give bats a place to roost in between hunting. If you are wondering why anyone would want to put up bat houses on their property, continue reading to find out the top reasons for incorporating them.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control
Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

Bats are Ecologically Important

Although bats have a negative stigma as being diseased-ridden rodents that will attack you, the reality is that bats are amazing and graciously-beneficial creatures. In fact, they are mammals, and the only mammalian species capable of flying. Sure, some animals soar, float, or drift on wind currents; but bats actually fly like a bird. Additionally, bats serve a highly-critical ecological purpose, and even contribute to the well-being of our local economies. Here’s how:

🦗 Natural Pest Control – A single bat can consume more than their body weight in insects, in just one night! That averages out to be around 1,000 or more flying mosquitos, gnats, flies, and other insects. Not only does this free and effective pest control help promote more comfortable outdoor environments, it protects crops from pest damage, which in turn helps farmers earn more, and also stimulates the economy.

🌼 Pollination – Bats are major contributors to seasonal pollination, which in turn supports and stimulates our local Eco-systems, but also, improves our crops, forests, woodlands, and gardens. They accomplish this amazing feat by distributing pollen and other types of rich organic matter to meadows, forests, woodlands, fields, farms, and more.

💱 Economy Boosters – With the combination of pest control and pollination, farmers reap exceptional benefits from bats by growing bigger, healthier crops. Healthier, improved crops deliver profits to farmers and to the vendors that sell their crops. This money goes back into the economy, and back into farming, creating a cycle of economic stimulation. It also creates jobs since more help is needed to farm and distribute annual crops.

Bat House Basics

If you wish to safely support the local bat populations, installing a bat house on your property is an excellent contribution. See our blog, “Instructions For Installing a Bat House” to learn what you need to know about procuring a bat house and getting started. You can also benefit from our blog, “Can I Keep a Bat House Up in Winter?” to review the basics surrounding bat house care and maintenance.

It is important to install bat houses carefully, and to follow all best practices for choosing a type of house and a location. Bats can be preyed upon, so you should never hang a bat house on a tree or near a copse of trees. Furthermore, if they get too close, bats can turn into a messy, costly nuisance, which is why you should also never hang a bat house to close to yours.

Nuisance Bat Removal and Control for Kentucky

Call 502-553-7622 to speak a licensed professional regarding bat removal services in Louisville, Kentucky. Our DNR licensed and insured wildlife control experts also offer a wide range of residential and commercial bat cleanup and damage restoration services , including decontamination, fumigation, structural damage repair, preventative maintenance, post checkups, and more. We may also be able to provide bat damage insurance claim work depending on your particular policy and carrier.

What is the Difference Between Bat Removal Companies?

When it comes to getting rid of bats and the damages they leave behind, not all bat removal and control companies are the same. There are many divergences among these companies, including experience, resources, skills, knowledge, licensing, reliability, craftsmanship, customer service, and of course, pricing. For a better understanding, continue below.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622
Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

It is easier to understand the difference among various levels of bat removal companies when you use a simple car mechanic analogy. For example, car mechanics are a dime a dozen; there are good mechanics and there are mechanics that are not good.

The good mechanic may take longer to schedule an appointment with since they are so busy, and may even cost more money. This is usually because they are a trusted industry service provider with repeat clientele. On the other hand, the bad mechanic may be able to get you in right away, and for a cost that considerably lower than their competitors. This is because they do not have repeat customers and need fast money for overhead costs and accumulating debt.

So what’s really the risk in choosing the bad mechanic over the good one? The good mechanic WILL repair your vehicle, and furthermore, be there for you in the future if something were to go wrong. The bad mechanic MIGHT repair your vehicle, and may also vanish off the face of the planet after they take your money.

How it Applies to Bat Removal

The same analogy applies to bat removal companies. There are good ones, and there are fly-by-the-night companies that do not have a reputation for dependability, longevity, or customer service. Just the same as car repair, bat removal is a significant investment. It is important to choose a provider that is a true industry expert, and adheres to all industry-accepted best practices and all local and federal laws that govern wildlife control.

If you suspect that nuisance bats are roosting inside your home or property, or you have notice habitual bat activity night after night outside of your residence, it is vital that you contact an adept and fully-equipped Louisville bat removal specialist that can deliver real workable solutions that fit your budget.

A Louisville Bat Removal Company You Can Trust

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.

Do Bats Need Echolocation to Survive?

It is a common misconception that bats are blind and must use their echolocating abilities to navigate around at night, and basically survive in general. Although there is some truth in echolocation abetting navigation, however, bats are not blind and can see just fine. Even non-echolocating bats in the Megachiroptera suborder have pronounced visual cortex that give them great sight and depth perception. Although bats are not blind, echolocation is a vital resource for microbats, and provides them with benefits that sustain their lives.

Continue reading to learn more about bat echolocation.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control
Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

Bats and Echolocation

Echolocation is also referred to as “biosonar”, and is a utilized by bats in the Microchiroptera suborder, also known as “microbats.” It is a built-in biological system that works by measuring the returning echoes of emitted signals that bounce off surrounding objects. Echolocation is made possible through vocalizations that are produced by the larynx of microbats, but released through mouth and nostrils. There are a few species of Rousettus in the megabat suborder that use a similar sonar system to microbats, but in contrast to producing sounds in the larynx, they produce sounds by clicking their tongues. See our blog, “The Basic Principles of Echolocation in Bats” to learn more.

How it Echolocating Works

When bats use echolocation, they emit signals in ultrasonic pulses over 15 kilohertz which then travel through the air and bounce off of surrounding objects. Bats analyze the returning sounds to identify the objects and assess the distance between them. The type of signals and sounds emitted by echolocating bats differ among species in many aspects, including frequency, length of call, intensity, and degree of modulations. Many animals aside from bats use this type of built-in sonar system, including species of dolphins, porpoises, toothed whales, Killer whales, dwarf sperm whales, shrews, and some species of bird.

The Purpose of Echolocation

Bats can see, but echolocation gives them a superior advantage when it comes to hunting and diving for prey at night. Bats are insectivorous, which means they primarily eat insects that are small and fact, like moths, flies, mosquitoes, beetles, and more. With echolocating abilities, they can more accurately dart, dive, and dash for their prey when it’s dark. It also helps them navigate their way around dark caves and roosting areas. Think about it from this perspective: You can see just fine, but you can’t see very well at night. Bats are the same way, but they have a built-in sonar system that makes up for this disadvantage!

Nuisance Bat Problems?

Bats are an incredible mammal, and offer numerous benefits to our surrounding environment and ecosystems. However, if you are experiencing nuisance bat problems, contact a Kentucky bat removal and control company for safe and humane service.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control

Call 502-553-7622 for prompt and professional Louisville bat removal and control 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.

Learn the Truth About Vampire Bats

Vampire bats have an unpleasant stigma of being callous, uncontrollable, blood-thirsty creatures. Fortunately, this is just a generous embellishment of the specie’s true nature; they are actually nothing of the sort. If you would like to know the true facts about these highly misunderstood bats, start with this article.

Continue reading to learn the basics about the vampire bat “sanguinivorous” lifestyle, and then expand your newfound wildlife knowledge to those around you!

Emergency Bat Removal 502-553-7622
White-Winged Vampire Bat (Diaemus youngi)

3 Species of Blood-Consuming Mammals

Although there are several creatures on this planet that exhibit traits of a sanguinivorous lifestyle (consuming vertebrate blood), there are only 3 mammals that do so, all of which make up the Vampire bat species. These include the Common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), the White-Winged Vampire Bat (Diaemus youngi), and the Hairy-legged Vampire Bat (Diphylla ecaudata). All three species are suite similar, but also have separate distinct characteristics that make them unique.

Now Let Us Clear Up the Confusion

The rumors that suggests these species “attack” and “kill” their prey, and then “suck” their blood is wrong. The truth is, vampire bats choose a host, make a small incision with their tiny teeth (much like a prick of a finger), and then lap up the pooling blood with their tongues.

They use heat-sensitive cells in their nose to locate a suitable blood vessel, while their saliva contains an anti-coagulant proteins (one such protein is called Draculin) that prevents the incision from clotting until they are done feeding. Once they are through, which usually takes up to an hour, the incision quickly seals, and the host is none-the-wiser.

Vampire bats actually help take care of their hosts. You see, blood is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. This means they have to eat a lot more than regular microbats, so it is necessary to preserve their food source, which usually comprise of livestock like cows, pigs, horses, and goats.

They are known to help others in their roost too. If a vampire bat goes a few days without eating, they can lose a significant amount of body fat, which puts them at a higher fatality risks. To combat this issues, the well-fed bats regurgitate packages of congealed blood for hungry companions in their roost.

Want to learn more false rumors about bats? Read our blog, “Unfair Misconceptions About Bats” to get an idea of the truth behind bats.

Dealing With Nuisance Bats?

Although bats are an important part of our Eco-system, and even our economy, they can sometimes pose certain threats if their colonies get too close. If you suspect you have issues with bats, or a bat infestation in the attic or other area of your home, contact our DNR licensed and insured professionals at 553-502-7622 for safe and humane bat control service in Louisville, Kentucky and its surrounding counties. We have more than two decades of experience working with bats, and offer both residential and commercial bat removal and control services, including minor attic restorations for bat damages. Request a free estimate, today.

How to Clean Up Bat Guano

When it comes to bat removal and control, getting rid of bats is only a part of the process. Bats leave behind horrible messes that are both structurally damaging and unsanitary. Everything from walls, ceilings, and floorboards, to attic insulation, electrical wiring, rooftops, and siding, are all targets of bat droppings and structural damage. Not only can this lower your total property value and jeopardize your investment, it poses several serious health and safety risks.

One of the most vital parts of cleaning up after nuisance bat activity or infestation is hazardous waste removal. Bat guano can develop a transmissible fungal spores that can cause a disease known as Histoplasmosis. You see, if the fungal spores enter the air ducts of a home or building, they can be dispersed all throughout a property. Upon inhalation, these spores can cause serious respiratory illnesses that may be fatal to young children, elderly, and those with weakened immune systems or existing respiratory complications. See our blog, “What is Histoplasmosis?” to learn details about this illness, including causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

For these reasons and more, it is wise to clean up bat guano in any scope, whether a small pile around your window seals and bird houses, or large accumulations in a formerly-infested area of your home. For large scale cleanup, it is necessary to hire a licensed bat abatement company that is equipped with the proper training and resources to accurately decontaminate and sanitize your property in adherence to city codes. However, if you are simply treating a small area, you can clean up bat droppings on your own so long as you do not have a weakened immune system or existing respiratory complications. Read our blog, “Can Bat Guano Hurt Me?” to understand these risks more.

Continue reading to learn how to clean up bat guano, safely and effectively.

Louisville Bat Removal and Cleanup Services
Louisville Bat Removal and Cleanup Services 502-553-7622

What You Need to Get Rid of Bat Droppings

In order to clean up a bat dropping pile, you will need some protective gear. This includes a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, rubber gloves, a face mask or respirator, and safety goggles. As mentioned, you are at risk of inhaling or coming into contact with dangerous spores. You will also need the following materials:

➡ Shovel or Spade
➡ Dust Pan
➡ Garbage Bags
➡ Hose or Spraying Water Bottle
➡ Full Coverage Clothing

Cleanup Instruction

To start, put on all your protective gear ensuring that your skin is covered.

Next, lightly spray the guano with water in order to reduce the likelihood of airborne spores and dust.

Using your choice of tool, shovel the bat guano into a garbage bag. Be sure to double bag all guano bags.

If it is just a small to moderate amount of guano, you can toss the bags into your own garbage or public dumpster for trash removal.

If you have a large accumulation of bat guano, contact your local health department to report the hazardous waste and request specialized waste removal. Or simply contact a licensed Kentucky Bat Removal Company for professional bat cleanup and restoration services in one.

Kentucky Bat Removal and Control You Can Trust

Call 502-553-7622 to speak a Louisville bat removal and control specialist about resolving all of your nuisance bat issues. We also offer a wide range of residential and commercial bat cleanup and damage restoration services for all of Kentucky, including decontamination, sanitizing, deodorization, fumigation, integrated pest management solutions for bat bugs, structural damage repair, insulation replacement, drywall repair, preventative maintenance, post checkups, and much more. We may also be able to provide bat damage insurance claim work depending on your particular policy and carrier.

Common Crops That Benefit From Bats

This summer, farmers all across the state are thrilled with the results of their yields. But did you know that local bat populations might have something to do with the excellent quality of all the fruits and vegetables you love so much? Not only is it possible, it is very true! Continue reading to learn how bats are helpful partners for Kentucky farmers, including which crops tend to benefit the most from bat interference.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622
Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

Nature’s Pesticide

Bats are known to be threats, not just because of old movie and scary tales, but also because they can actually be a nuisance to residential and commercial properties since it is common for colonies to take shelter inside attics and similar hidden areas, and inflict a long list of structural damages and sanitation concerns.

However, aside from being a potential nuisance to property owners, bats provide a wide range of advantages, both ecologically and economically. They deliver such benefits to our local economy and surrounding ecosystem in a number of ways, but the top two are pest control and pollination.

Pest Control and Pollination

Bats are insectivores, and primarily eat flying bugs like mosquitoes, flies, gnats, moths, and more. A single bat can consume more than it’s own body weight in insects. In fact, in just one night, a single bat can eat more than 1,000 flying insects! Think about a colony of 100 bats darting and diving for insects each night. Now that is some excellent pest control!

This type of “nature’s pesticide” benefits local farmers because their growing crops are less affected by pest outbreaks and infestations. Bats are also excellent pollinators, which helps keep crops growing healthy and strong, season after season. Not only does this reduce the amount of money and labor put into pollinating crops each season, it also increases the results of seasonal bounties.

Best of all, this level of added pest control and pollination is free, so farmers are saving money! This actually rolls into how bats help the local economy too! Since farmers are saving money on raising better-quality crops, more crops are grown and sold at the market, keeping the local economies stimulated on both ends of the sales transaction.

Kentucky Crops Aided By Bats:

🌽 Corn
🍚 Rice
🌿 Tobacco
🌱 Soybeans
🌾 Wheat

Got Nuisance Bats Around?

If bats are a nuisance in or around your property, contact 502-553-7622 for safe and non-lethal bat removal and control in Louisville, Kentucky. 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.

Instructions for Installing a Bat House

Bats can certainly be a nuisance problem if they find their way into our homes and buildings. However, bats also serve a highly important ecological purpose that benefits us, our society, other animals, and the entire surrounding ecosystem. Not only do they consume millions on flying insects (like mosquitoes and gnats) each night, which serves as excellent pest control for us and our crops, their guano helps with pollination, soil fertilization, and more. In turn, the benefits bats offer support our local farming and agriculture enterprises in our communities, and enhances the local economy. They also reduce the quantity of mosquito bites we get on a late summer evening.

If you want to do your part to support local bat populations in your area, you can choose to install a bat house on your property. Continue reading to learn the proper guidelines and recommendations for bat house safety, including instructions on how to install a bat house.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control
Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

Obtaining a Bat House

You can purchase blueprints online and build your own bat house, but only do so if you are a highly familiar with wood work and building. There are many complex and vital factors that must be taken into consideration when constructing a bat house, so it requires a higher level of skill and experience. If you are not a seasoned carpenter, it is recommended to simply purchase a pre-constructed bat house, online or at your local home and garden store. These are already constructed in adherence to all best practices and humane awareness in the industry.

Installing a Bat House

It is important to never install a bat house near your own house or a neighbor’s house. Furthermore, never mount bat houses directly onto trees. Bats, especially pups, are too vulnerable to predators and other dangers if roosting on the side of a tree. Also, the house does not get enough sunlight to keep it warm inside since it is blocked by the tree’s canopy, and tree limbs can get in the way of a bat’s entry and exit point. Instead, mount your bat houses on metal poles, wooden posts, pivot poles, or on a side of a building, like a shed or barn.

To install your bat house, simply follow the manufacturers instructions provided. If you are building your own bat house, follow these tips:

☑ Choose an area that faces either East or South, and receives 6 to 8 hours of sunlight.

☑ Keep the bat house at least 20 to 30 feet away from obstructing branches and tree limbs.

☑ Place the house in a spot near a natural body of water, like a stream, creek, or pond.

☑ Be sure the bat house is 10 to 20 feet off the ground or tallest plant.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control

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.

Kentucky Laws About Tampering With Wild Bats

Here in Kentucky, certain species of wild animals are protected under state law. This means that you can be penalized on several different levels if you are caught and convicted of such conduct. This is important information for those who are dealing with nuisance bat problems since it is possible to break the law without having any actual intention. Basically, what seems like an act of protecting your property may actually be against the law.

This scenario is made even more serious considering 3 of Kentucky’s native bat species are federally endangered, and thus, protected on a federal level. This means that a person can face felony charges for tampering with one of these species. If you have nuisance bat activity around your property, be sure to educate yourself on what you can and cannot do within the limits of the state and federal laws governing bats.

Continue reading to learn the Kentucky laws about bat tampering, as well as, how to get rid of bats safely and legally.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622
Louisville Bat Removal and Control 502-553-7622

The Laws Surrounding Wild Bats

According to KY.Gov, the official website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, all bats in the state are protected by law. What does this mean for you? It means that it is illegal to trap, domesticate, breed, harm, or kill a bat. Furthermore, there are no intoxicants, or repellents, that are legal for bat control applications. There are exceptions to this law, for instance, in the case that it is proven that bats are damaging a property.

Possible Penalties

If an individual is caught tampering or harming bats, they can face both criminal and civil penalties. This includes jail time, hefty fines, restitution, community service, banishment, loss of professional licenses, loss of gun privileges, and more. It depends on the severity and scope of the incident.

To Get Rid of Nuisance Bats

There are several ways to manage nuisance bat activity on and around your property without harming or jeopardizing the well-being of the local bat populations. In fact, there are several ways you can be bat friendly, while also protecting your home from bat damages. Talk to a DNR licensed and insured bat control company for help dealing with bat problems. They have the knowledge and resources to remove bats safely, bat-proof your home, and more.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control

Call 502-553-7622 for prompt and professional Louisville bat removal and control 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.