The type of bats we find in attics used to migrate to warmer climates in the winter, but ever since we humans started building all these houses, bats have found our attics to be nice winter homes. Babies are born in attics, and eventually generations of furry flyers keep making their home in the same attics year after year and staying year round.
They will go dormant in the winter after they crawl down into our walls. People will hear scratching in the walls during the winter and scratching in the attics during the warmer months. Bats will burrow under the insulation and lay flat on the drywall to find that tolerable temperature.
Bats can fit through voids or openings as small as a dime. As home inspectors we look for these voids when we are on roofs or on our ladders. We look for daylight in attics. We look for older types of ventilation openings that can invitations for the little critters. Getting rid of bats can be expensive, especially if insulation has to be removed and replaced and material such as drywall or roof decking has to be cleaned or sealed.
Guano is the thing that is a definite sign of a bat presence. It is also the thing that can be the real concern when it comes to our health and safety. Large bat populations can cause a disease called histoplasmosis. This is a type of lung infection caused by the spores of bird or bat droppings. Larger piles of guano can mold and the spores can become airborne. Those with weakened immune systems are quite vulnerable. Common symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, dry cough, chest discomfort, fatigue.
We find bat poo all the time. For some of our amazing pictures check out this link – past guano posts I didn’t want to put pictures in this email and gross out people who might be eating breakfast…
Help with Bats At our local ASHI group meeting recent guests were The Batmen. They were very knowledgeable and have a great track record battling the bats around these parts. “The Batmen” – Joe 402-213-9853.KETV news story – bats and rabies featuring The Batmen.
