Palm Bay Bat Problems

Bats earn their keep in Palm Bay. They pollinate, they spread seed, and they eat insects in quantities that make a real difference through the warm months. They also move into attics and wall voids, and once a colony is established the situation does not resolve itself.

Which bats get into Palm Bay homes?

Two species account for nearly every Palm Bay call we take: the free-tailed bat and the little brown bat, both of which go by other names locally. Both are insect eaters, both are nocturnal, and both have largely traded caves and hollow trees for man-made structures. That preference is the entire reason a homeowner ever meets one.

What damage do bats do to a house?

The damage shows up in three places. Bats compress and soil attic insulation where they roost. They leave dark staining on the exterior below an entry point. And the guano accumulates, which produces a strong odor and can host fungi that cause respiratory problems in people. None of it looks dramatic in week one, which is why most colonies are well established before anyone picks up the phone.

Can I get bats out of my attic myself?

You can buy exclusion devices such as one-way doors and netting, and in the right season, correctly installed, they work. The failure modes are the problem. Seal the wrong opening and the colony simply finds another. Do the work at the wrong time of year and you wall flightless pups inside to die, which turns a bat problem into a dead-animal problem inside your walls. A bat job done wrong usually costs more to correct than the original job would have.

Are bats protected by law in Florida?

Yes, and the protection is strict. Every bat species native to Florida is protected, so harming, killing, or transporting one is illegal. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also bars exclusion outright from April 16 through August 14, the maternity season, under Florida Administrative Code 68A-9.010. Legal exclusion runs August 15 through April 15, the device has to stay up a minimum of four nights, and overnight temperatures need to be forecast at 50 degrees or warmer so the colony can actually leave.

Dr. Critter has completed thousands of bat projects in Palm Bay and across Central Florida, in buildings of every shape and size, and we do them inside the rules rather than around them. For help with a colony in your home, call 800-932-7287 or read more about bats in Central Florida structures.