Should I relocate a bat?

The Problem with Bats

Bats are both a nuisance and a threat. These animals carry an awful stench with them, and they'll even leave stains all over your home. Yet they also leave corrosive guano that causes structural damage, and not to mention the deadly diseases they carry.

With all that trouble coming from a small bat, it's no wonder you should act quickly to remove the bat.

Trapping Bats

You might decide trapping the bat is the best way of removing them, so you either reuse a trap you already had or buy a new one. You then place the trap near the bat and successfully catch the animal.

But what now?

Relocating the Animal

Killing the animal certainly isn't an option. That would be incredibly unethical, as the animal did nothing to hurt you. It would also be illegal as most states protect bats because they're endangered animals, so killing one would land you a hefty fine.

That's why relocation seems like the best bet. It's humane since you're letting the animal out into the wild. It's also legal since you aren't killing the creature. This method seems perfect!

Yet in truth, relocation is deeply flawed. Many bat species have a close bond to their colony and roost, so they won't leave if you just release them outside. Relocating them far away won't work either, as these animals have incredible senses of direction and will quickly find their way back to your home.

So, what else is there to do?

Alternative Methods

The truth is that trapping the animal wasn't a good idea, to begin with. While it's the method that makes the most sense with other animals, it just doesn't work with bats. And in fact, trapping bats is illegal in many states, so you should avoid doing it.

Instead, you should try one of these alternative methods. They're humane, legal, and effective.

Bat Houses

One popular approach is to build a bat house in your yard.

This is great because it lets you make the most of the bat's natural tendency to hunt insects. By building or buying a bat house, you can get rid of all nearby insects with your own personal exterminator.

This house is also more accessible and more appealing than your home, so most bats won't bother you.

Unfortunately, this method isn't effective if bats are already in your home. That's why it's recommended you combine it with the next method to get the best results.

Exclusion

Exclusion is hands down the best way to remove bats from your home. You use the bat's own biology to trick them into leaving your home, and you just close the door behind them so they can't get back in.

You should start by finding all the entries bats use to get inside your home. These will often be lined with grease from the animals.

Then you should seal them up with some caulk and steel wool, or any other material you prefer. Just make sure to leave one entry unsealed.

You should then get an exclusion device like a funnel or net and install it on the final hole. But before doing this, you should ensure there aren't any baby bats in your home, or they might die when you remove all the adult bats.

Finally, you just sit back and wait for the animals to leave on their own.

Once they're gone, you can remove the exclusion device and seal the final hole. Then just do some basic cleaning and sanitization and your home is as good as new.

Professional Help

If you don't want to do exclusion yourself, you should call a professional to help remove the bats. These experts often use exclusion themselves, but they have the experience and equipment to do an excellent job.

Professionals will also be able to bat-proof your home in order to prevent future infestations, so you can't go wrong with this approach.