Bat Exclusion in the Morris County | NJ Wildlife Control Specialists

While bats play an integral role in maintaining our ecosystem by controlling insect populations, having them roost in your house can create inconveniences and potential health risks. Bat guano can cause respiratory diseases, and a small fraction of bats may carry rabies. Fortunately, with careful steps, you can prevent these winged creatures from turning your home into their haven.

Bat Exclusion in Morris County | Keeping Bats Out of Your Home

Understand Bat Behavior:

Bats are nocturnal animals that prefer dark, enclosed spaces for roosting during the day. Houses with attics, chimneys, or gaps in siding offer suitable roosting spots. Bats may also take refuge in your home during their migration period or when searching for a safe place to rear their young.

Identifying Entry Points:

Identifying how bats are entering your home is the first step towards excluding them. Look for signs like bat guano, brown stains around holes, or an unusual smell. Observe the exterior of your home during sunset when bats usually exit to forage for food. You’ll notice the flight path they use to exit your home.

Bat Exclusion:

Once you’ve identified their entry and exit points, you can implement bat exclusion methods. The aim is not to trap bats inside, but to create a one-way exit. This can be achieved using exclusion devices like netting, tubes, or cones, all of which should be designed to allow bats to exit but not re-enter.

Timing is critical in bat exclusion. Avoid exclusion from April to August, as bats could be rearing their young during this time, and juvenile bats can’t fly out. You wouldn’t want to separate mothers from their offspring or trap the young ones indoors. The best time for exclusion is early spring or fall.

Seal Entry Points:

Once you are sure that all the bats have exited, it’s time to seal off their access points permanently. Use materials such as caulk, weather-stripping, or high-quality insulating foam sealant to fill in the gaps and holes. Larger holes can be covered with heavy-duty netting, wire mesh, or hardware cloth. Chimneys should be capped with a bat-proof cap. It’s essential to seal every point, as bats can squeeze through tiny openings as small as 3/8 of an inch.

Preventive Measures:

To make your property less attractive to bats, remove potential roosting spots. Trim overhanging tree branches, keep attic and basement windows well-sealed, and use chimney caps and window screens. Avoid leaving outdoor lights on for long periods, as they attract insects, which in turn attract bats. Ultrasonic deterrents, although controversial in their effectiveness, can also be used as a preventive measure.

Professional Help:

Bat exclusion can be a complex process, and there’s a risk of bats being trapped inside if it’s not done correctly. Furthermore, different states have different laws regarding bat removal, and some species of bats are protected. Hence, it’s often advisable to enlist the help of licensed pest control professionals or wildlife control agencies. They can ensure that bats are removed from your home humanely and legally.

While it’s essential to appreciate the role of bats in our ecosystem, it’s equally important to maintain a safe and comfortable living environment. A proactive approach, thorough inspection, and carefully timed exclusion can effectively keep bats out of your home. When in doubt, remember that professional help is just a call away.

Remember, our aim should not be to harm these remarkable creatures, but to guide them gently towards more suitable natural habitats where they can thrive without causing disturbance or posing a risk to human health.

Looking for Professional Bat Exclusion Services in the Morris County, New Jersey Area?

If you’re looking for bat exclusion in the Morris County, NJ area, Wildlife Control Specialists is here to help! Since 2007, wildlife control has been our only business, and we are proud of our reputation as Wildlife Control Specialists. We’re a New Jersey-based, family-owned company committed to providing humane and environmentally responsible techniques for handling nuisance animal problems including: animal control and removal, animal damage repair and exclusion, and animal control prevention services, Our service area includes Morris County, Hunterdon County, Warren County, Somerset County, and parts of Mercer and Sussex County. With over a decade of experience we are highly trained certified Wildlife Control Professionals, and licensed by the state of New Jersey. We are industry leaders with state-of-the-art equipment, a six-truck fleet, and own 40’ articulating lift to get those places ladders just can’t reach. The towns we serve in the Morris County, NJ area include: Kenvil, Dover, Butler, Morristown, Morris Plains, Chatham, Long Valley, Mendham, Mount Olive, Roxbury, Succasunna, and many more. For more information, you can call us at (888) 758-6572 or explore our website.

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