Bats are not typically considered household pests, but they can cause extensive damage if they make their way into your home. From chewing through walls to causing structural damage, these winged mammals can become quite a nuisance if left unchecked. That’s where bat removal in Newmarket becomes critical to protecting your home from unwanted infestations.
In this blog post, our experts at Skedaddle explore the damage they can cause, including damage to insulation and electrical systems, as well as the health risks associated with droppings. Additionally, we’ll provide practical advice on how to keep bats away from your property, such as sealing entry points and using deterrents. Whether you’re dealing with an active infestation or just want to take preventative measures, learning how to deal with them is crucial for any homeowner.
Can Bats Damage Your House?
Yes, they can inflict significant damage to your home. When roosting or nesting, they can chew and claw through the materials of your house, including drywall, wood, and even metal. The high-pitched sounds they emit to navigate and communicate can also disrupt your peace and tranquillity at home.
Perhaps the most damaging consequence of an invasion, however, is their droppings, or guano. This waste material can lead to structural damage, create unpleasant odours and present significant health risks. Here’s a closer look at each of these issues:
Structural Damage
They produce copious amounts of guano when they roost in your attic or within your walls. Over time, these droppings can accumulate, seep into the building materials and weaken the structural integrity of your home. This is especially true for invasions going on for long periods unnoticed.
Unpleasant Odours
Guano, alongside urine, gives off a strong, unpleasant smell. This ammonia-like odour can seep into your living spaces, leading to severe discomfort. Not to mention, it’s pretty hard to get rid of once it seeps into your home’s materials.
Health Risks
We’ve touched upon this in earlier sections, but it’s worth repeating. Droppings can pose serious health risks, harbouring fungi capable of causing diseases such as Histoplasmosis in humans. This particular disease adversely affects the respiratory system and could be severe, especially for people with weakened immune systems.
In the next section, we will go in-depth about the health risks they can pose and how you can protect yourself from them.
Protecting Your Health: Bat-Related Diseases and Prevention
When it comes to the dangers presented by bats, potential diseases are a paramount concern. Beyond the physical damage these winged mammals can inflict on your property, they also pose serious health risks that you need to address adequately to keep your family safe. Let’s take a closer look at these risks.
Diseases Bats Can Carry
There are several diseases that they can carry and potentially transmit to humans. Most notably, these include:
- Rabies: Rabies is a severe viral disease. It’s mostly transmitted through bites, and it affects the central nervous system, leading to brain disease and death if not treated immediately.
- Histoplasmosis: As mentioned earlier, this is a fungal disease caused by inhaling the spores of Histoplasma capsulatum, a fungus often found in guano. Severe cases can affect multiple organs and become life-threatening.
- Mites: They can also host tiny parasites which are similar to lice and ticks. They can bite humans and cause itchiness, redness, and discomfort.
It’s crucial to remember that not all bats carry these diseases, but the risks remain significant. Therefore, prevention and professional removal are of the utmost importance.
Preventing Bat-Related Diseases
Now that we have discussed the potential health risks, it’s crucial to consider ways in which we can prevent these. Here are some key prevention measures:
- Vaccination: Vaccination against rabies is an essential prevention measure for those living in areas with high populations of these animals or people in high-risk occupations.
- Professional Removal: This is the best way to avoid the risks associated with bat infestations. Professionals have the knowledge, experience, and tools to remove them from your property safely and effectively.
- Sealing Entry Points: They can enter homes through tiny crevices and gaps. Sealing these entry points can prevent them from making your home theirs.
- Keeping Living Spaces Clean: Regular cleaning and maintenance can prevent the build-up of guano, thus reducing the risk of diseases like Histoplasmosis.
The safest and most effective way to prevent these diseases is to ensure they are not residing in your home. Choosing professional removal services, like those offered by Skedaddle, can ensure these animals are safely and humanely removed from your property.
Natural Deterrents to Protect Your Home
While our team at Skedaddle is always ready to help, prevention is always the best approach. Using natural deterrents can aid in keeping bats at bay, ensuring they don’t roost in your home to begin with. It’s essential to understand that these methods should be humane, and not cause harm to the animals. In line with our ethos of wildlife-friendly practices, we promote deterrent methods that do not harm them but discourage them from making your home their nesting spot.
Bat-Proofing Your Home
The most effective way to deter them is by bat-proofing your home. This involves identifying potential entry points such as crevices, loose boards or roofs, and chimneys and sealing them off. You can use various materials for this, including mesh screens or caulking. This effort is best undertaken in the late autumn or winter when they have migrated elsewhere.
Light and Noise
These mammals prefer dark, quiet locations to roost. Therefore, using light and noise can effectively deter them from considering your house as their habitat. The strategy involves keeping lights on in possible roosting sites like the attic or using noise-producing devices. Practice caution not to cause a nuisance in the neighbourhood while using this method.
Mothballs
Another natural deterrent known to keep them away is mothballs, also known as naphthalene balls. The smell of these can discourage them from roosting in your home. However, use them judiciously as they can cause eye and skin irritations for humans.
Mirrors and Aluminum Foil
The use of shiny surfaces like mirrors or aluminum foil can also deter them. The reflection either confuses them or makes them feel uncomfortable, thus discouraging them from their intended roost.
While these DIY methods might seem practical and budget-friendly, employing professional removal services is the safest option. Incorrect handling of bats or unsuccessful attempts to seal your home could lead to continued problems or even increase your problem. So, if you suspect or confirm an infestation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Skedaddle.
Contact Skedaddle for Bat Removal in Newmarket
We understand how daunting it can be when these animals reside on your property. Their presence can lead to significant damage, odour issues, and potential health risks. But worry not! Skedaddle is here to help. With our specialized wildlife control services, we ensure the safe and humane removal of the mammals on your property.
Our Unbeatable Approach
At Skedaddle, we approach every situation with an emphasis on humane animal control solutions. Our goal is not just to remove them, but to ensure they don’t return. With over three decades of experience, we’ve developed a comprehensive approach that works.
- Assessment: Once you contact us, our team immediately swings into action. We conduct a thorough site examination to ascertain the size of the problem and identify their entry and exit points.
- Removal: Using hands-off techniques and door devices, we gently encourage them to leave while preventing their re-entry.
- Prevention: After the removal, our team sets to work to bat-proof your property, sealing any potential entry points and implementing deterrence measures.
- Clean-up: We clean up and sanitize the affected areas, removing any harmful droppings or contaminants left behind.
Our cost-effective, efficient, and humane removal service is just a call away. Skedaddle’s Newmarket team is ready to help you reclaim your home and peace of mind. Remember, the best solution to any wildlife issue is to seek professional assistance. Never try to handle a problem on your own. Not only could this put you and the bats at risk, but they are also a protected species in many areas.
Give us a call today and let the experts at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control help you navigate this potentially stressful situation. Experience firsthand how our effective, empathetic, and environmentally friendly approach can turn your problem into a thing of the past.
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