Bat Control & Exclusion In Chattanooga, TN

Bat Info

Bats are common creatures in the United States and even in the greater Tennessee area. With these animals being nocturnal and fairly timid, they can end up being hard to find, but by exploring your attic area or looking behind your shutters during the day, you may come across these creatures. During the night hours, bats will often leave to look for food and return to their roosts before morning comes in order to sleep again. Once the cold weather season comes, bats will either migrate south or look for a sheltered spot in an attic to enter into a semi-hibernative state where their heart rate and metabolism will dramatically slow down.

Bat Population In Chattanooga

Chattanooga is home to 14 different species of bats. Two of these species are on the endangered species list while the other 12 species are federally protected. When finding a place to have their young, bats sometimes enter residences because of the safety from the outdoor elements. Once inside, they’ll usually go to the warmest area of the attic in order to use it as a nursery for the young bats. These young bats are born in May and June and will typically begin flying in July. While bat infestations may be difficult to notice because of their quiet harborage, they can be noticed during this time when young bats are present. The young will typically call for their parents with an extremely high pitched sound, with only those with very good hearing will hear these noises Whether homeowners notice it outside or explore their attic area, bat droppings (or guano) is a common consequence of an infestation and is approximately ¼” long while crushing easily. They may also end up leaving behind a brown oil in the places they use to exit and enter.

Dangers Of Bats: Guano & Rabies

Surprisingly, bats are fairly clean animals, but their guano is the item that causes the most danger. Bats usually produce guano once they land at their roost, which if their roost is in your home attic, the guano can build up over time and cause dangerous living conditions. One of the primary dangers with the presence of guano is histoplasmosis, which is a fungal disease that can end up being fatal to young children or those with compromised immune systems. Encountering histoplasmosis usually occurs by inhalation of the toxic spores once they’ve entered into a home from where the bats are roosting. While histoplasmosis is the main danger that presents itself, rabies is another danger to acknowledge. Anywhere from approximately .1% to 10% of bats carry rabies and appear to be species dependent.

Keep Bats Outside

Overall bats are great creatures for our local ecosystem as they eat an incredible amount of insects every night. The amount of bats that cause problems are very low, but they are still very important to watch out for on the chance that you encounter a problematic bat.