BAT DAMAGE IN YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS

When bats are in small numbers, there is not much of a problem. However, when the colony grows the problems will start and they mostly have to do with a buildup of guano. If you only have a small colony, it is best to deal with them as soon as possible as they live for a long time and will stay in the same place as long as conditions permit this. The small colony that you have will grow each year as the female bats give birth to babies each summer and they join the colony.

After a few years, you could have thousands of them and this is when problems start. The problems bats cause can range from minor to life-threatening.

The occasional squeaking and rustling of wings in your chimney, attic or walls can be a bit unsettling and a nuisance. It is also disturbing to find a bat living in your home and you might be faced with the unpleasant stench of a decaying bat when one dies.  All of these problems can be relatively minor, but they will lead to larger issues in the future.

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BAT DAMAGE AND ODORS

One of the larger problems you can have with bats in your home is the unpleasant and strong odor of guano which is the droppings that they leave behind. If you have a colony of bats living in your home, you could have 30 to 40 of them leaving droppings behind on a daily basis. As this accumulates, the odor will start to spread throughout your home or business.

Guano has a bad odor, but this is not the only issue as it also carried a threat to your health which can be fatal.

Bats will also cause damage to your home or business. They are known to chew into the walls and damage the insulation of your home. Wiring will also be damaged which will cause additional problems that you want to avoid.

BAT DISEASES & INFECTION

The fungus Histoplasma capsulatum is carried in bat guano. This is important because the spores of this fungus are both microscopic and airborne which allows them to easily get into all parts of your home including the living area. When inhaled, these spores will cause the disease known as histoplasmosis which is a lung infection.

This infection can clear up on its own, but it can also lead to chronic lung infections which will require medical treatment. If you leave this untreated, the disease can be fatal.

Another health issue that you will face, although rare, is that they could transmit rabies to a human through a bite. The rabies virus can cause inflammation of the brain and will be fatal if it is not treated soon after the infection occurs.  There are actually few bats that carry rabies, but you cannot tell by looking at one. If you are bitten by them within your home or anywhere else, you need to get treatment for rabies immediately.