VICTORIA BAT REMOVAL

BAT REMOVAL PROCESS

Bats in Victoria

Bats are misunderstood creatures. Despite how they are often depicted in popular culture, they are not vicious or malicious. Rather, they are beneficial to humans for pest control and pollination. Nevertheless, having them in your home could be risky. They may expose you to diseases such as histoplasmosis through their droppings, and while it is rare for bats to spread rabies to humans, it is possible. Some species of bats are endangered, meaning that it is vital that bat removal in Victoria complies with applicable laws protecting them.

Unfortunately, homes are not built with wildlife protection in mind, which is why bats are able to find small gaps and cracks to gain access inside on almost every home – new or old. Bats in Victoria have successfully adapted to find these small openings on buildings, making their way inside to roost in attic spaces and wall cavities. Although areas like Thetis Lake Regional Park and John Dean Provincial Park offer many species of local wildlife refuge, bats often choose to roost in the comfort of a home where constant warmth and shelter are provided.

What We Do

On Vancouver Island, special techniques are used to exclude and remove bats from a home without harming the animals in the process. Our humane method involves identifying the bats’ entry points and a combination of installing one-way doors and sealing openings with screening and long lasting wildlife exclusion sealant. Bats can fly out to hunt for food through these one way doors, but they can’t fly back in again. When all the bats have left the property, our team will return to remove the doors and ensure your property is protected in the long run.

Our technicians are trained to determine the phase of the breeding cycle that a bat colony is in. This is important because mother bats cannot carry their babies with them as they fly around. Therefore, if babies are present, the exclusion cannot take place until the young bats are old enough to fly away on their own. Otherwise, they could die from being separated from their mother’s care.

Bat droppings, also known as guano, can pose serious health risks, which is why we include cleaning and decontamination as part of our process.

Dangers That Bats Create

Handling bats and a colony inside your home or business should always be left to the professionals. Bats are known carriers of the rabies virus, and are able to spread the virus to any other mammal, including humans. In 2019, a British Columbian man was fatally infected after coming into direct contact with an infected bat on Vancouver Island. Removing bat colonies from a home can put you at risk of contact and contamination. In order to protect yourself, and anyone else on the property, it is important to allow professionals that understand safety procedures to remove a bat colony from your property.

While they are staying inside a home, bats can quickly create costly damage to insulation with the droppings they leave behind. Bat droppings can pose health risks to humans if disturbed. Without the proper protective equipment, removing bat droppings can lead to bacterial infections and can spread the bacteria throughout the home. As part of our removal process, Skedaddle technicians deeply decontaminate any areas bats roosted and remove any soiled attic insulation.

Why Bats Roost in Human Homes

Most bat species feed on flying insects, which either die off or go dormant during the winter months. While some bats migrate to warmer climates during the winter, most species in British Columbia hibernate. They look for places that provide warmth and protection from predators. In the wild, caves, cliffs, and rock crevices may serve their purposes, but they may also roost in attics to spend the winter.

It is illegal to disturb bats while they are hibernating, but we can identify their entry points and install one-way doors during the winter. That way, when the bats become active again in the spring, they can fly away and won’t be able to come back in, allowing our technicians to move on to the decontamination part of the process.

If you find bats in your attic, or elsewhere in your home, it is important to call us for an assessment right away. Bats give birth in the late spring to early summer, and once the babies are born, bat removal in Victoria has to be delayed for their survival.

Why Protecting Bats Is Important

Bats are fascinating creatures with some incredible capabilities. We rely on them more than you may realize, and they need our help to survive. Bats are one of the ecosystem’s greatest pollinators, and are responsible for pollinating some of your favourite fruits, including bananas and mangos. They are also vital in controlling insect populations. Bats consume an average of 6,000 to 8,000 insects each night, which helps crops thrive and keeps Victoria resident’s backyards comfortable.

A disease known as white-nose syndrome has had a severe impact on populations across North America, decimating populations of the little brown bat. In 2023, the virus was discovered in British Columbia. In response, The British Columbia Community Bat Program began looking for volunteers to help keep track of the number of bat colonies roosting in communities across the province. Tracking colonies can help monitor the spread.

At Skedaddle, we have been working closely with bats to help their populations thrive. We understand how to safely detect white-nose syndrome in bats and are trained on the proper steps necessary to prevent the spread. When a healthy colony is living inside a property, we know how important it is to protect them during the process. Our bat removal process is designed to protect populations, and allows bat colonies to relocate themselves to a new home.

Call Skedaddle For Bat Removal in Victoria

Skedaddle technicians are here to help Victoria home and business owners secure their homes against bats with long-term solutions. With high-quality materials and years of experience, we are proud to give our clients a lifetime guarantee on our workmanship after every job.

Bat Facts

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