This winter has been dragging, don’t you think? At this point, both humans and wild critters alike are ready for the warm weather. And as the ground warms up and the buzzing of insects fills the air, you may also discover that you’ve been sharing your home with a colony of bats for the past few months. Both little brown bats and big brown bats are common in Maryland and are known for taking advantage of poorly sealed attics. There is, however, a small window when it’s possible to conduct humane bat exclusion this time of year, and our Maryland wildlife removal specialists are here to explain how it works.
What is Bat Exclusion?
Bat exclusion is a safe and humane method of bat removal in Maryland. Whether you live in Bethesda, Annapolis, Owings Mills or anywhere else in the state, bat exclusion is your best option for getting rid of bats. Here is how it works: we find the holes in your roof or siding that bats use to get into your attic and install one-way doors. This means that the bats can exit but are unable to return into the attic. You may see several bats flying around your home in search of an entrance point, but they will soon relocate.>
When to Conduct Bat Exclusion
If you suspect that there are bats in your attic, it’s best to contact a bat removal specialist before the end of April. As bats wake up from hibernation around the end of February – beginning of March, their reproductive cycle starts over and they give birth to pups around May. Bat pups can’t fly for several weeks. If you install one-way doors after the pups are born but before they can fly, you will trap them inside your attic. This will not only kill the pups, but will cause an awful smell and require an extensive cleanup. If you have just come to realization that you might have a bat colony in your attic, be sure to consult with a wildlife removal expert. It’s crucial to pick the right time for exclusion and sealing, so that all bats can safely leave and relocate. This time of year, we are talking about a very narrow window between the time when all bats wake up and before they give birth.
How Did Bats Get in My Attic?
Once all the bats are out of your attic, it’s time to assess the damage. Bats don’t typically go out of their way to get inside a building—they use existing gaps and holes in your roofing, soffits or gable vents. It’s crucial to find and seal all of them once you are sure that all bats have left. In most cases, bats choose to roost in our attics in order to survive the winter. Some species will voluntarily leave in the spring, while others, like big brown bats, may stick around on a more permanent basis. Bats are generally not a bad critter to have flying around, as they control populations of many pesky insects such as mosquitoes. Special bat houses can be installed to keep bats on your property but out of your attic. If you live in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania or Washington, DC and need help with a bat problem, feel free to give Mid-Atlatic Wildlife Control a call or contact us online.