A bat hanging from a window screen. Most bats that get into the living space of a home came from a colony in the attic.[/caption]
How do bats get into houses?
Finding out how bats are entering a home can be difficult and knowledge of bat biology and behaviour certainly helps. Here are a few reasons why it takes a trained eye to identify bat entry points:- Bats are small. Bats are very small mammals and usually measure between 4 and 5 inches in length. Unlike mice, bats don’t chew holes to get in houses, they rely on their ability to contort and flatten their bodies to help them to fit into cracks and crevices as small as a ¼ inch. Their small size means that on any given house there could be dozens of potential bat entry points.
- Bats are nocturnal. During summer bats in Kitchener-Waterloo are most active at night. They come and go from their day time roosts under cover of darkness to feed on insects. It is often recommended to homeowners that they go outside at dusk to catch a glimpse of where bats are exiting but tracking the movements of tiny dark brown bats in the dark isn’t always easy.
- Bats enter from above. To avoid predators, bats like to make their home high above ground and will get into houses through openings located along the roof line. Depending on the height and shape of the house, spotting and confirming bat entry points without a ladder is nearly impossible.
- Bats don’t leave much evidence behind. Droppings and grease staining from their fur are the most common pieces of evidence left behind by bats. Without training and experience it can be tricky to pick up on the subtle cues bats leave behind.
