Category Archives: Bats

Popular Bat Guano Fertilizers on the Market

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Last month we discussed how bat guano is used as a fertilizer for gardens, crops, flora, and more. So now that you know that guano is a known, effective fertilizer, you might want to know which kind to buy! In this blog, we’ll point out a few of the most popular and effective bat guano fertilizers on the market, and the qualities that make them so great. Continue reading for a list of recommended bat guano fertilizer products and brand names for better growing and gardening at home.

Smart Natural’s Happy Frog Potting Soil

This fine-screened potting soil is a light-textured and rich fertilizer, containing bat guano, earthworm castings, forest humus, microbes, fungi, and more, and comes ready to use for indoors or out. It’s well aerated, abundant in nutrients, and pH balanced to get the best possible results. You can expect to see this product come store-ready in 51.4 quart bags that range in price from $45 to $55, depending on the retailer.

Greenbelt Organics Bat Guano Fertilizer

This odorless, easy-to-use, indoor or outdoor bat guano fertilizer is one hundred percent organic. And it is guaranteed to never burn. It is formulated with high amounts of phosphate to enhance blooming and taste. It is biodegradable, building and cleaning the soil with special microbes and microorganisms. It is the perfect fertilizer for lawns and potted plants. You can expect a 2 pound bag to cost anywhere from 8 to 10 dollars.

Sunleaves Indonesian Bat Guano Fertilizer

Another highly-rated and reviewed bat guano fertilizer, the Sunleaves brand has much to offer gardeners. This dry fertilizer can be diluted in water or applied directly to soil for enhanced blooms and root growth. It has a high phosphorous potency, making it very effective. An 11 pound bag will cost anywhere between $25and $35.

Although bat guano is beneficial in our gardens, it is quite the opposite in our attics or other areas in our homes. If you notice bat droppings anywhere on or inside your property, you may have bat activity nearby. It is best to stop a bat problem before it becomes a costly mess. Contact a licensed bat removal service to get rid of bats and clean up bat guano messes in your home.

Bat Removal in Louisville Kentucky

Call 502-553-7622 for safe and humane bat removal in Louisville, Kentucky or its surrounding counties. We are DNR licensed bat removal and control contractors with decades of experience providing residential and commercial work. Aside from bat removal, our highly trained contractors provide bat cleanup services, bat proofing, preventative maintenance, and even minor attic restorations and repairs. Call 502-553-7622 for Louisville bat removal services you can trust.

Can Bat Guano Be Used as Fertilizer?

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The feces of bats is called guano. It is known for its soil-enriching qualities, which is why many cultures and societies use it for fertilizer. Bat guano can also be used for several other purposes, like gun powder and arguably, women’s mascara. But fertilization is predominantly the most sought-after quality of bat manure. Continue reading to learn how bat guano is used as fertilizer, how it works, and why so many gardeners and cultivators are interested in its benefits.

Plant-Growing Nutrients

Guano is a fantastic fertilizer because it contains high traces of three primary plant-growing nutrients. These nutrients are nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate. For this reason, bat droppings make the perfect fertilizer. Additional benefits of using bat dung for a fertilizer is that it works fast, it has minimal odor, and it is easy to work into the soil. On top of fertilization, bat guano is also highly effective for conditioning soil, fungal protection, and even improving soil drainage and texture. Bat manure can also be used to control nematodes in the soil, as well as, a compost material to activate decomposition.

Fertilizing with Bat Guano

To use bat guano as a fertilizer, simply add a small amount on top of soil, and work it into the top layers. In contrast to regular fertilizer or manure, bat guano is so enriched with nutrients, less is needed for the process to work. It is perfect for lawns, grass, greens, and plants. You can obtain guano is fresh form, or in a dried form. Both have been proven effective in all areas of lawn and garden fertilization.

Bat Problems

Although bat guano is a highly-purposely natural resource, that does not mean we want to see it all over our properties and inside our homes! Bats are wonderful assets to our surrounding eco-system, but they can become nuisance wildlife in the presence of residential and city areas. If you suspect you have bats in the attic, or a bat problem on your property, contact a local Bat Removal Company for prompt and professional bat exclusion services. Be sure to use a service that only uses safe and humane methods to remove bats and prevent their return. Bats should never be harmed or killed for no reason.

Bat Removal Louisville Kentucky

Call 502-553-7622 for prompt and professional bat removal and control services in Louisville, Kentucky. We are highly trained and DNR licensed wildlife rescue and control contractors with over 25 years of experience in the industry. We only use safe and humane methods to extract bats and relocate them to faraway and safe habitats. Call 502-553-7622 to learn more about our Louisville bat removal services, prices, and availability. We offer residential and commercial bat control services at the most competitive prices in town.

White-Nose Syndrome is a Dangerous Disease in the Bat World

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Bats are prone to various illnesses and diseases, just as all living creatures. But there is a disease that seems to only target cave-dwelling, hibernating bats. This disease is called White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) and it has killed thousands of bats. It was first discovered in early 2007 in New York. Bats at that time started evincing unusual behavior, like neglecting to hibernate or remaining active during the daytime in cold weather. This was an indication to scientists and researchers that something wasn’t quite right. After years of liberal investigation and testing, White-Nose Syndrome was given a name.

It started in the Northeastern parts of the United States, and continues to spread to the central parts to this day. More than 25 states have been infected by this disease since winter 2008, as well as, a handful of Canadian provinces. White-Nose Syndrome causes a growth of white fungus all over a bat’s body, including the ears, muzzle, and wings. This is where the name, “White-Nose” comes from.

When a bat is infected with White-Nose Syndrome, on top of white fungus growth on its wings and muzzle, it might also demonstrate certain signs and symptoms. For example, when scientists are determining whether or not a bat is infected, they will look for microscopic pattern of skin erosion, but they will also consider a bat’s behavior as another key identifier of the disease. When bats are not hibernating as they should, or flying far from their roosts in cold or hazardous weather, they are showing common signs of the syndrome. This doesn’t mean that all bats flying far from their hibernation roosts in cold weather are infected, it simply means that infected bats often evince this particular behavior. Severe emaciation is another indicator.

Several organizations and governmental departments are working together to stop this disease from plaguing even more bat colonies than it already has. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, ivy league collegiate teams, and more have all collaborated to find a means to control this disease.

Bat Removal Louisville Kentucky

Call 502-553-7622 for bat removal and control in Louisville, Kentucky today. We are highly trained and DNR licensed wildlife control contractors with decades of experience in the bat removal industry. We use safe and humane methods to remove bats and prevent their return, never killing or harming them in any way. Call 502-553-7622 for more information about bat removal services in Louisville, KY and its surrounding counties.

Learning About Fruit Bats

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Fruit Bats are a species of bat that do indeed eat fruit, but there is much more to them than the words that make up their name. You see, fruit bats are also called Megabats. They are the larger of the two distinct suborders of bat, megabat and microbat. They are found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. There are so many interesting and surprising facts about this particular species of bat, and each one gives us an added appreciation for them. Continue reading to learn more about fruit bats and what their lives are like out there in the wild.

Megabats

Megabats are scientifically referred to Megachiroptera. They are also called fruit bats, as you already know, as well as, Old World Fruit Bats and Flying Foxes. They are referred to as Flying Foxes because they are one of the most prevalent species of fruit bats in the world. Just as people often refer to all bandages as “Band-Aids” when in fact “Band-Aid” is the brand name not the product name. The same informal use of the term, Flying Foxes, applies to Fruit Bats. There are numerous species of Flying Foxes, such as the Grey-Headed Flying Fox, the largest fruit bat in Australia. Others include the Black Flying Fox, the Spectacled Flying Fox, the Little Red Flying Fox, the Seychelles Fruit Bat, Caroline Flying Fox, the Pelew Flying Fox, and many more.

Megabats are larger than their sister-species, the Microbat. But this does not mean that all fruit bats are large. Some can be as small, or smaller, than some species of Microchiroptera. Physically, fruit bats have large eyes, one of the most recognizable and distinguishable features of a megabat. They also have large ears, another big identifier. When it comes to wingspan, they certainly have bragging rights. Wingspans of fruit bats can extend to great lengths, depending on the particular species. Larger fruit bats can grow wingspans that measure up to 5 feet or more!

Now since they have large eyes and pronounced visual centers, their vision is pretty good. In fact, theories imply that megabats do not use echolocation like microbats do for this reason. The only exception to this fact is the Egyptian Fruit Bat that uses a sonar-like system by emitting sharp clicks with their tongues. As for diet, fruit bats do eat fruit and the juices of fruit, as their name suggests, but they also eat nectar and pollen. This makes them significant parts of the Eco-system as they eliminate seeds they eat and pollinate plants.

Louisville Bat Removal

Call 502-553-7622 for professional bat removal services in Louisville, Kentucky. We are highly trained and DNR licensed bat removal and control contractors with decades of experience in the industry. We offer a wide range of bat removal services for commercial and residential properties. Call 502-553-7622 for free estimates, free advice, availability, and all other forms of information about bat removal and control in Louisville, KY.

Bats in the Basements are a Real Problem!

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Specific signs can indicate that a home has a bat infestation somewhere on its property. Signs such as foul odors coming from the attic, strange clicking or chattering sounds at night, fallen roof shingles, and more are common indications that bats are present. No matter where bats are on or in a property, it is vital to get them out fast! Bat’s, although magnificent and beneficial mammals, fall under the nuisance wildlife category and can cause large amounts of structural damage to a home, as well as, jeopardize our health and the health of our beloved pets. Bats in the attic can simply mean a few loners have found a space to get warm, but if you have bats in basement, this is a big problem because it most likely means infestation. Continue reading to learn about the damages bats can inflict on our homes, and how to get rid of bats in the basement as fast as possible.

Remove Bats in the Basement

Bats, the only mammal capable of true flight, prefer higher elevations when it comes to roosting. This is why we commonly think about bats hanging from tree limbs or cave ceilings. For us, this means they typically enter houses at a high point, like the roof, chimney, or attic; however, if they have made their way to the basement of a home, the outlook is not good. This is because bats in the basement often means they have made the journey from the top of the home, all the way down to the bottom, likely occupying the walls and everything in between along the way. More structural damages occur this way. And damages leads to costly repairs.

A frequent mistake made by frustrated and frightened homeowners is sealing off the basement. For obvious reasons, this will only keep bats in, and does nothing to remove and prevent bat infestations from entering from above as they did before. A professional bat removal company can provide safe, humane, and effective bat exclusion services, as well as, bat-proofing strategies and more. Experienced wildlife removal contractors will even offer minor attic, drywall, insulation, and other bat damage restorations for residential properties.

Bat Removal Louisville Kentucky

Call 502-553-7622 for professional bat removal and control in Louisville, Kentucky. We are DNR licensed bat exclusionists with decades of experience in the wildlife control industry. Our bat control technicians offer bat removal, bat cleanup, bat prevention, inspections, minor attic restorations, and much more for both residential and commercial properties. Call 502-553-7622 for safe and humane bat removal services in Louisville, KY you can trust.

What is a Bat’s Natural Habitat?

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All year round, countless species of bats use several varieties of habitats for shelter, roosting, breeding, feeding, traveling, and more. All across the country, bats are making homes and traveling back and forth between them. Many people think bats only live, thrive, and stay in caves, but the truth is, they are open to all kinds of locations in between their roosts! Continue reading to learn a few interesting facts about bat habitats and behaviors.

Bat Roost

A bat roost usually is located somewhere hidden and dark. Here, bats can stay protected from predators and harsh weather. Here they can also breed and nurse their offspring. Bats are known to have several roosts in different locations, and it’s the habitats they choose to hang out at that make for interesting conversation. There are two common habitats that bats like to use for hunting and traveling; foraging habitats and shuttling habitats. Foraging habitats are basically good hunting grounds, like fields, grasslands, parks, ponds, forests, woods, rivers, creeks, and more. These areas provide an abundant amount of insect and small wildlife that bats prey on for food. They can even take a gulp or two at a river or other waterway. Shuttling, or commuting, habitats are the areas bats use for traveling from one roost to another. These are typically safer passageways for bats, and can be trusted for easy and obstacle-free flying. These locations include wood and forest edges, river banks, and more.

When it comes to hibernating and breeding their young, bats prefer cave-like environments, as mentioned before. Since caves are not a common landscaping feature in city and urban areas, bats use other forms of dark and secure shelter; like buildings, dumpsters, tall trees, power lines, attics, culverts, residential properties, and more. If you have a bat infestation in your home or property, call a licensed bat removal and control company for prompt and professional assistance. Never attempt to kill, harm, trap, or touch a bat. Bats can carry several infectious and contagious diseases, but still do not deserve to be harmed. A professional bat exclusion specialist can remove a bat, or bats, and relocate them to a safe and faraway habitat.

Bat Removal Louisville Kentucky

Call 502-553-7622 for safe and humane bat removal in Louisville, Kentucky. We are highly trained, DNR licensed wildlife contractors with decades of experience in the bat removal and control industry. We offer a wide selection of bat control services, like bat cleanup, minor attic restorations, bat proofing, and more. We also offer free estimates and information about how to get rid of bats, safely. Call 502-553-7622 for licensed bat removal services in Louisville, KY today.

How Do Bats Fly?

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One of the most fascinating and fun facts about bats is that they are the only mammal on earth that is capable of true flight. This means bats are the only member of the Mammalian family that can really fly. Most other mammals can glide, float, hover, or soar, which makes them appear to be natural flyers; but bats are the only species of mammal that can actually achieve true flight. Bats use their own body and wing power to fly and control their flight. Continue reading to learn more about bats, how they fly, and more.

Bat Wings

Bats are not like birds and covered in feathers, instead, they are covered in fur. They have large wings that, depending on the species, can range in length and width. The wings are a thin and almost-transparent membrane that are similar to the webbing in our hands. At the tip of a bat wing is one large hook-shaped claw, which is used in the same way we use our thumbs. Bats use this “thumb-like” talon to climb, mostly. Some species of bat have wing-membrane that extends all the way to their tail, capable of being used a as a pouch. But it’s not just the wings that help bats fly, it’s also their bodies.

Bats are light in weight. They have short, thick bodies, with a chest-size broader than their tail-span. All of these traits, as well as their wings, assist them in achieving flight. In order to fly, bats use a row-like maneuver to create lift-off. Their wings also retract, allowing bats to tuck their wings close to their chest to move more swiftly, mid-flight and between flaps.

When it comes to flying, bats are agile, aerodynamic, and swift. Many people believe bats are blind, and that their eyesight affects the way they fly. But this is simply untrue. Bats have very good vision, and can see just fine; but they do have narrow optical centers that inhibit their vision capabilities. This is why microbats also use echolocation, a sonar-like ability, to locate food and map their surroundings. Megabats, like the Flying Fox, have larger and wider visual centers that allow them to see well and not need echolocation.

Bats are amazing creatures and a significant part of our Eco-system, but sometimes they can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, making them nuisance wildlife. If you have a bat infestation on your property, or may have bats in the attic or some other interior area of your home, contact a Louisville bat removal company for safe and humane assistance.

Bat Removal and Control Louisville, KY

Call 502-553-7622 for professional and licensed bat removal and control in Louisville, Kentucky. We are DNR licensed bat exclusionists with decades of experience in the industry. We provide several bat removal and control services for residential and commercial properties all throughout the state. We also offer free estimates, emergency services, bat-proofing, and more. Call 502-553-7622 and speak with a friendly and knowledgeable Louisville bat removal expert about getting rid of bats, today.

A Newly Discovered Technique Bats Use to Navigate in the Dark!

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A new study recently revealed that microbats use more than echolocation to navigate around at night. No more is sonar the only navigational resource used by bats! Just to review, echolocation is a type of sonar system that microbats use to map their surroundings in the dark. Although not blind, microbats have small visual centers that inhibit their vision capabilities. By emitting small sounds and listening for the return echo, bats can make a mental grid of their surroundings, and better hunt for prey. The only megabat known to also use sonar is the Egyptian Fruit Bat. All other megabats retain a large visual center that allows them to see well at night.

Microbat Navigation

Now back to the topic at hand! The newly discovered ability in bats involves polarized light! That’s right; microbats apparently use patterns of polarized sky light to navigate their way around. They can actually calibrate their internal magnetic compasses by using the pattern of scattered sunlight in the atmosphere! This is a truly remarkable gift! You see, depending on the position of the sun during the day, polarization patterns and directional sunlight vary.

What we don’t know is how microbats detect polarized sunlight. I guess that answer will come later after more research and studies! One interesting fact is that bees also use this type of navigational resource, and other insects as well. Bats truly are fascinating and wonderful creatures that are a vital part of our Eco-system; however, when they trespass onto our properties, they can make quite the mess and cause quite the disturbance. When this happens, be sure to call a licensed Louisville Bat Removal contractor for safe and humane bat exclusion services and assistance. Bats should never be trapped, harmed, or killed.

Louisville Bat Removal

Call Louisville Bat Removal at 502-553-7622 if you have a bat infestation problem. We are DNR licensed bat exclusion specialists with decades of experience in the bat removal and control industry. We offer emergency services, free estimates, DIY advice, and a wide range of bat control services. Call 502-553-7622 for licensed bat removal services in Louisville, KY and its nearby counties.

The Bat Quiz: Learning about Wild Bats

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Bats are wonderful creatures that are found all across the globe! You may be scared of them, or you might be fascinated by them. Either way, learning about bats is fun! Take this bat quiz to test your knowledge on wild bats, and perhaps learn a thing or two while you’re at it! Once you complete the quiz, match your answers to the answer-key and see just how much you know about these amazing creature we call bats!

Get Started!

Question 1

What “Class” of Species are Bats?

a. Birds
b. Mammals
c. Reptiles
d. Aquatic

Question 2

Bats are Nocturnal. True or False?

a. True, bats are active primarily at night.
b. False, bats are diurnal and active at day.
c. False, bats are neither nocturnal nor diurnal.

Question 3

Where Do Wild Bats Predominantly Live?

a. Beaches
b. Jungles
c. Caves
d. Deserts

Question 4

What is the Scientific Order for a Bat?

a. Procyon Lotor
b. Mammalia
c. Insectivore
d. Chiroptera

Question 5

What Do Megabats Generally Eat?

a. Birds and Lizards
b. Other Bats
c. Nectar and Pollen
d. Mosquitos

Question 6

Bats Drink Human Blood. True or False?

a. True, bats like the taste of human blood.
b. False, only vampire bats will consume the blood of other animals.

Question 7

Bats are the Only Mammal Capable of True Flight. True or False?

a. True, bats are the only mammals that can really fly, rather than float or glide.
b. False, other mammals can fly.

Question 8

Will Bats Attack People?

a. No, Never.
b. Only if Frightened or Provoked, but Rarely.
c. Yes, Always.

Question 9

Are Bats Blind?

a. Yes, Blind as a Bat!
b. No, Bats Can See

Question 10

Why Does a Bat Use Echolocation?

a. A Way to Talk to Other Bats
b. To Scare Away Predators
c. To Build Nests
d. As Sonar to Map their Surroundings

Let’s See How You Did!

Answer Key: 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d, 5-c, 6-b, 7-a, 8-b, 9-b, 10-d

Well hopefully you learned something new about bats! Although bats are fascinating to learn about, they can sometimes be a bother to our homes and properties. In this case, be sure to contact a Louisville Bat Removal company that only uses safe and humane bat control methods. We must respect and protect all bat species, but we don’t have to invite them to our homes!

Bat Removal in Louisville, KY

For safe and humane solutions for bat removal in Louisville, Kentucky, call 502-553-7622 today. We are highly trained and DNR licensed bat exclusion specialists with decades of experience in the bat removal and control industry. We offer a wide range of bat removal services for both residential and commercial properties, at the most competitive prices in town. We also offer free estimates, emergency services, insurance compatibility, and cleanup and restoration services. Call 502-553-7622 for licensed and insured bat removal and control services in Louisville, KY and its nearby counties.

Discussing Differences Between Megabats and Microbats

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There are over 100,000 species of bat all across the world. What’s even more interesting than that is, all these bat species fall into one of two categories: Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera. Colloquially, these are referred to as megabats and microbats. Bats come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors; but all of them will either be a megabat or microbat species. Bats are the only mammal on Earth capable of true flight. This is one of the most interesting and incredible characteristics of bats! All bat species, whether mega or micro, are special and unique. Let’s take a closer look at a few individual species of bat, and discuss the differences between Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera bats.

Microchiroptera Bats

Microbats are not called “micro” for no reason; they are the smaller of the two category bats. The smallest microbat, called the Bumblebee Bat, weighs only 2 grams! Other microbats are known to weigh only a few ounces, and range between 4 and 15 centimeters long. They are also called Echolocating bats, small bats, insectivorous bats, and true bats. Although they go by many names and have various sub species, all microbats use echolocation to locate and hunt for food. Echolocation, also called bio sonar, is a method of emitting calls or sounds into the surrounding environment, and waiting for the sounds to bounce of close-by objects and return. This creates a mental grid or map for a bat in hunt of prey at night. Microbats have an interesting diet that mostly consists of insects; but larger species prefer small prey like frogs, fish, small birds, lizards, aquatic organisms, and even smaller bats. A few well-known species of Microchiroptera include the Spotted Bat, Spectacled Bat, Mexican Free-Tailed Bat, Bumblebee Bat, Orange Leaf-Nosed Bat, Little Broad-Nosed Bat, and the Inland Forest Bat.

Megachiroptera Bats

Megabats are much larger than most microbats. They have large eyes and a keen sense of smell. In fact, these two senses are their principle asset in hunting and locating food. You see, Megachiroptera bats do not use Echolocation like the Microchiroptera (with the exception of the Egyptian Fruit Bat that uses high-pitched clicks to navigate in caves). Instead, they see and smell very well. Their diet is frugivorous and nectarivorous, meaning they consume only ripened fruit, fruit juices, nectar, and pollen from flowers. They have long tongues that can reach down to the bottom of flowers in order to get to the pollen. Megabats and plant life practice a form of mutualism called Chiropterophily. Bats consume, pass along, and eliminate pollen and fruit seeds, producing more growth and aiding in the pollination process. Common species of megabat include all Fruit Bat species, all Flying Fox species, the Hammerhead Bat, and the Long-Tongued Nectar Bat.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control

Call 502-553-7622 for professional bat removal and control services in Louisville, Kentucky today. We are highly trained and DNR licensed bat control specialists with decades of experience in the animal removal and control industry. We provide a wide-range of bat removal and control services; including bat removal, bat prevention, bat proofing, bat cleanup, minor attic restorations, emergency services, and more. Call 502-553-7622 and receive a free estimate regarding bat removal services in Louisville, KY and its surrounding counties.