Are There Bats In Your Attic?

The presence of a bat in a house causes more alarm than does any other wildlife species. However, having bats hanging around your property isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, they offer some benefits to homeowners, such as natural pest control. But that doesn't mean they should be hanging out in your home. Let's talk about the possible damage that can be caused by roosting bats in your attic and how to get rid of them. 

Are There Bats in Your Attic?

First of all, how do you know if you've got bats roosting in your attic? You’ll notice bats have made their way into your attic thanks to the smell of their guano or urine, which are extremely pungent. You may also hear them in early dawn and dusk hours. If you have a colony of these creatures in your attic, you’ll want to act fast. Their droppings can cause structural damage, create a bad odor and even grow fungus which can cause respiratory problems.

Can They Cause Structural Damage?

While bats do not chew on buildings, they can still cause damage to your home. If left unchecked, their guano and urine will accumulate over time, resulting in waste dripping through ceilings, ruining insulation, and soaking through sheet rock or particle board, eventually causing the interior of the structure to collapse. 

How Do You Get Rid of Them? 

The first thing to do is to see where all the bats are hiding. You can quickly identify where the bats are around your house by finding their guano or urine stains. Check to see if there are windows or other small holes with scratches on them because that could be a point of entry. Also, try listening for squeaking or scratching.

Next, check to see if there are any small openings that bats can enter from. Since bats are nocturnal, another trick you can do is wait until night time and watch where they are exiting from. If needed, get someone to inspect your house when no visible holes can be seen. Bats are famous for squeezing into the smallest holes, so even a hole that’s less than half an inch wide can be a point of entry.

If you have active bats in your home, you’ll need to address the problem ASAP by calling a local pest control company as soon as you know you have an issue. After all the bats are gone, you can prevent them from coming back by sealing the passage or door permanently. For such small animals, they have a strong memory and would likely come back to your house if they found it cozy enough.

Contact A B Pest Control & Insulation

Now that you know a little more about the critters roosting in your attic, you'll be better equipped to getting them removed safely! Remember, bats in Missouri are protected and it is illegal to kill them unless they're causing damage to your property. If you do happen to come across bats in your attic or outdoor building, contact A B Pest Control & Insulation. We'll come out and safely remove these nocturnal harmless creatures and relocate them where they can thrive and continue to benefit our ecosystem!

LAKE OF THE OZARKS
PEST CONTROL COMPANY

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A-Z with A B Pest Control & Insulation: Bats & Batts

At A B Pest Control & Insulation, we offer multiple services for your convenience. From pest control to lawn maintenance and turf management to insulation services, we can handle all of these tasks for you! This week, we'll be continuing our new series by discussing two different sectors of our business with A-Z with A B Pest Control & Insulation: Bats & Batts.

The Furry Winged Bats 
While Missouri has seen about 9 common species of bats within its state lines, only one family of bats predominates in Missouri: the evening bats. More than this have been spotted, but are not commonly seen in Missouri. However, the most common species found in attics and roosting in outdoor buildings is the little brown bat.

The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is a brown, mouse-sized bat that occurs throughout Missouri. It hibernates in small numbers in Ozark caves during winter. In summer, it sometimes takes up residence in attics and buildings, where it rarely causes damage.

Common Misconceptions
Bats are unique and interesting animals. Because of their nocturnal nature and widespread misconceptions about them, they are the subject of myths and folklore that make them one of the most mysterious and misunderstood mammals. The presence of a bat in a house causes more alarm than does any other wildlife species.

These fears are unwarranted. Contrary to what you may have heard, very few bats become rabid (less than half of 1 percent). Bat droppings in buildings usually are not a source of histoplasmosis. Bats are not filthy and will not infest homes with dangerous parasites. Bats are not aggressive and will not attack people or pets.

Benefits of bats
Missouri bats consume literally tons of insects in our state each year and are one of our best allies in controlling insect numbers. A single little brown bat (one of the common house-dwelling bats) may eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour. Bats are the only major predator for night-flying insects.

Now that you know a little more about some of the common bats we'll see around Missouri, you can be better equipped to identify one roosting in your attic! Remember, bats in Missouri are protected and it is illegal to kill them unless they're causing damage to your property. If you do happen to come across bats in your attic or outdoor building, contact A B Pest Control & Insulation. We'll come out and safely remove these nocturnal harmless creatures and relocate them where they can thrive and continue to benefit our ecosystem!

The Other Kind of Batts
Another kind of 'bat' we handle are the insulation type. Batts are precut pieces of insulation that fit perfectly into cavities on walls. These are used as a convenient and effective way to ensure your home is protected from the cold. This is one of the most common products used to insulate walls, ceilings and attics as well as basements and crawl spaces. It is generally manufactured from fiberglass, Batt insulation can also be made from cotton or stone wool.

Benefits of Batt Insulation
Batt insulation has numerous advantages. Because professionals can install the product relatively quickly, it is one of the least expensive ways to insulate your home. When compared to other types of insulation, the fiberglass version generally has the lowest installed price. It also maintains it's effectiveness because it doesn't settle over time.

Batt insulation is very flexible, which means that it can be installed between studs, rafters and joists blocks without leaving any gaps. The snug fit helps stop airflow and the transfer of heat. When installed correctly, it is very energy efficient. Studies have shown batt insulation can reduce the amount of energy required to heat and cool a home by as much as 50 percent. Along with lower energy bills, your home will be more comfortable year round.

Give A B Pest Control & Insulation a Call!
At A B Pest Control & Insulation, we pride ourselves on our exemplary service, because we stand behind all our work. We offer flexible service schedules to meet your pest control, insulation and budget needs. If you have unwanted pests around your house or would like a free estimate on your insulation needs, give your Lake of the Ozarks pest control company a call! From pest control to lawn maintenance and insulation services - A to Z, we cover it all!

Lake of the Ozarks
Pest Control Company

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www.abpest.net

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Getting to Know the Bats of Missouri

Most people know a bat when they see one: It looks something like a mouse with wings. But besides what they look like, how much do you really know about bats, more specifically, the bats we're likely to encounter in Missouri? There are more than 1300 estimated species of bats in the world, making up one-fifth of Earth's total mammalian population, the second largest order after rodents. With that many species in the world, some people may just find it easier to classify them all as simply bats. But every species of bat is different and each offers their own kind of benefit to the world.

Missouri Bat Species
While Missouri has seen about 9 common species of bats within its state lines, only one family of bats predominates in Missouri: the evening bats. More than this have been spotted, but are not commonly seen in Missouri. This week, we at A B Pest Control & Insulation want to share with you a bit of information about all the different species common to Missouri.

Evening Bat
The evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis), the most common Missouri bat, is present during the spring, summer and early fall. It migrates south in winter. It roosts in buildings in summer. If you've encountered a bat in your attic, these (along with brown bats) are likely the culprits.

Little Brown Bat
The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is a brown, mouse-sized bat that occurs throughout Missouri. It hibernates in small numbers in Ozark caves during winter. In summer, it sometimes takes up residence in attics and buildings, where it rarely causes damage.

Norther Long-eared Bat
The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is a small bat much like the little brown bat, except that the ears extend beyond the nose when flattened against the head. These bats are rarely seen. They usually roost in crevices of caves.

Big Brown Bat
The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is a large bat, perhaps twice the size of the little brown bat, but still weighs only half an ounce. This species lives throughout Missouri and roosts by itself or in small groups in caves. Big brown bats commonly roost in buildings, where they sometimes hibernate.

Tri-Colored Bat
The tri-colored bat, formerly known as the eastern pipistrelle bat, (Pipistrellus subflavus) is Missouri's smallest cave bat (only 3 inches long) and is a pale yellowish brown color. It is rarely found in buildings, but instead prefers caves and rock crevices.

Gray Bat
The gray bat (Myotis grisescens) is an endangered species. It is a medium-sized, grayish bat that is usually found in large, active clusters. Gray bats use caves as roost sites year-round. They roost in large numbers; roosting caves contain huge amounts of bat guano (manure). Typically, they use many caves during the summer and only a few during the winter.

Indiana Bat
The Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) also is an endangered species. It is a small, pinkish brown bat. In Missouri, the Indiana bat spends the winter hibernating in caves in the Missouri Ozarks. Indiana bats form large, dense clusters during the winter but do not deposit piles of guano under these roosts. They disperse across the state during the summer.

Red Bat
The red bat (Lasiurus borealis) is smaller than the big brown bat. Its fur is rusty red, washed with white. It roosts among leaves of trees and is seen in abundance statewide, often foraging around large lights in towns. It is solitary. Many will migrate in winter. In southern Missouri, some red bats remain during the winter and may emerge from their roosts on warm winter days to catch insects.

Hoary Bat
The hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is larger than a big brown bat and about twice the weight (one ounce). It is the largest bat in Missouri. Its color is a rich, dark brown, overcast with grayish white. It roosts among the leaves of trees, but is less common than the red bat. It is solitary and migrates.

Now that you know a little more about some of the common bats we'll see around Missouri, you can be better equipped to identify one roosting in your attic! Remember, bats in Missouri are protected and it is illegal to kill them unless they're causing damage to your property. Rarely are bats a nuisance, and can often be more of a benefit to have around than a pest as they feed on pesky insects. If you do happen to come across bats in your attic or outdoor building, contact A B Pest Control & Insulation. We'll come out and safely remove these nocturnal harmless creatures and relocate them where they can thrive and continue to benefit our ecosystem!

Lake of the Ozarks
Pest Control Company

Visit Our Website:
www.abpest.net

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