Bats

BATS: (Order Chiroptera)

Description:
Bats are often seen foraging for insects in the twilight hours of summer. Most bats in Southern California are about 3 inches long and have a wingspan of 4 to 6 inches with wings that are thin and opaque. They are gray in color and have no visible tail. Some species have relatively large ears compared to their size.

Biology:
There are over 150 species of bats in North America with California alone having about 25 different types of bats. In the wild, bats prefer dark secluded areas like caves and hollows, so when they find their way into residential or commercial areas they like to use wall voids, attics, and ceiling voids of buildings. Bats are nocturnal hunters and will eat their weight in insects every night! In their natural habitat they are a very helpful insect predator and are protected.

Did You Know?

Bat colonies can range in size from a few dozen to millions of bats, depending on food availability, predators, and shelter. Bracken Cave in Texas is home to the largest bat colony in the world with more than 15 million bats!

Impact:
Bats tend to return to the same roosting sites and can live for years with the longest living bat being 41 years old. Bats are serious disease carriers, including deadly rabies and Valley Fever, and are a public health hazard. The build up of fecal droppings (guano) and urine in their roosts causes strong ammonia odors and can become nearly unbearable. Their droppings can cause damaging stains, saturating the wood and interior structure which can be extremely expensive to clean up.

Solutions:
Prevention and exclusion are the first line of defense. Bats are protected animals and so should be managed by a licensed pest professional.