Have you heard squeaking and fluttering noises coming from your attic? Have you smelled a strong ammonia odor? You probably have bats roosting in your attic. While they traditionally live in caves, our attics provide the same dark, warm seclusion, making them a target for bat infestations. In North Carolina, bats most commonly invade attics during spring, which is their breeding season.
Getting rid of bats in your attic is not as easy as removing other nuisance wildlife from your home. Because of the valuable role they play in the ecosystem, bats are protected by law in North Carolina from May 1 to July 31. This is when bats are raising their pups and it is illegal to remove bats from your home during this time. To avoid being stuck with a bat infestation all summer, you should inspect your attic for bats before the end of April.
The best way to remove bats from the attic of your Raleigh-Durham area home is to install a one-way valve over their entry hole. This device allows for bats to fly out at night but won’t let them return the next morning, forcing them to take shelter elsewhere. Once the bats are all out, you can seal off the hole to keep them out permanently. Beware that there may be more than one entry hole leading to your attic, which can prevent this technique from working.
Because bat removal is challenging and also illegal during certain times of year, your safest option is to hire a wildlife control company for bat removal services in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas.
NCSU Alumni