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How To Keep Bats Out Of Your House
Waking in the middle of the night or early morning to a bat flying about the house can be a terrifying experience for both children and adults. If one found it's way into your home it's likely more will follow unless you find and seal all possible entry points. This is usually not as much work as it sounds.
Many bats can get through relatively small gaps on the outside and inside of your home. If you aren't sure about the gap size seal it anyways just to be sure.
Bats can gain access from the exterior of your home to the interior at the following locations:
- Unscreened windows and doors left open
- Poorly fitting screens and storm windows
SOLUTION: Keep unscreened windows and doors closed between dusk and dawn when bats are most active or purchase screens. Check the perimeter of all doors and windows for gaps large enough to allow bat entry and repair as necessary. *Do not cover the weep holes at the bottom of storm windows or use caulk in a way that will glue the windows shut or make them hard to remove.
Bats can gain access from the exterior of your home to the walls and/or attic of your home at the following locations:
- Loose fitting siding - especially at the bottom where it meets the roof flashing.
- Gaps between soffits and fascia
- Attic roof vents
- Uncapped chimneys
SOLUTION - Cap, caulk, tighten or repair possible entry points. Important! If you currently have bats living in the walls or attic of your home you must provide a one-way escape. This is often done with mesh netting. See additional information on this page.
Bats can make their way from the attic or walls into the living spaces of your home at the following locations:
- Loose fitting base boards - especially if your home has settled unevenly.
- Poorly fitting attic access doors or bathroom pipe access doors.
- Gaps around bathroom and kitchen pipes and drains where they enter the wall.
- Large gaps around heating ducts and cold air returns.
- Light fixtures and ceiling fans if a gap exists between the electrical box and the ceiling.
SOLUTION - Finding all potential access points in your home will require some detective work on your part - for example I found an access point behind my stove. Pull out kitchen and laundry room appliances, empty closets, look inside your cupboards and cabinets. When you find an access point use an appropriate repair. For example, for larger openings where appearance doesn't matter I like to use expandable foam. For a less permanent fix use weather stripping instead of caulk.
Basement:
- Gaps around sewer pipes, vent pipes, water pipes, gas pipes (where they enter a wall) - especially those that eventually go through an attic.
- Chimney perimeter where they enter the ceiling (older homes) or wall outlet (newer homes).
- Gaps between foundation and wall.
SOLUTION - Stuff fiberglass insulation into gaps or use expandable foam to fill gaps. I prefer foam as it's quick, easy, and does a great job filling voids as it expands.
Conclusion
Bat proofing your home requires a thourough inspection to identify all possible entry points. You may want to hire an animal control service to secure the outside portion of your home especially if it is multi-story with a steep roof. By placing one-way doors on likely exterior entry points you allow bats to escape from your home but not reenter. This is the best solution for both you and the bats.
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DISCLAIMER: INC8.com makes no guarantee that the information presented on this web page is complete or correct. Always consult a professional when in doubt. Use of this web site and the information within is at your own risk.
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