Bats can easily become bothersome household pests due to their natural tendency to live in attics. Although they play an important role in insect control and maintaining the balance of our ecosystem, bats can cause significant structural damage once inside.
Bats are also carriers of serious diseases, some of which are potentially dangerous to human health. However, to protect the bat population, it’s important to seek out safe and humane options for removal.
A Closer Look: Bats
Are Bats Pollinators?
Most people associate pollination with bees and birds, but they frequently overlook the work of their furry counterparts: bats. Bats work the night shift, helping to pollinate crops and disperse seeds.
The Mexican long-nosed bat, which lives in large colonies, is important. Their range extends into southern Texas, California, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Plants and mammals have shared a mutually beneficial dependency on one another throughout history. As a result, these bats naturally feed on flowers, including those of valuable commercial crops such as figs, dates, mangoes, and peaches, which have flowers that only open at night.
Are Bats at Risk?
Bats are at risk globally because of unwarranted fear and superstition. Their roosts are destroyed in Latin America, killing many beneficial bats that eat pest insects as well as nectar- and fruit-eating bats.
Two species of Leptonycteris nectar bats are officially listed as Endangered in the United States. Many large-bodied flying fox species, including important pollinators and seed dispersers, are under threat from hunting, particularly on South Pacific islands and the Asian mainland. Fruit farmers in eastern Australia regard flying foxes as 'vermin,' and many large roosts have been eradicated.
Nectar bats worldwide need our appreciation and security, not only because they are essential to the reproductive success of numerous plants and contribute not only to our diets and economies but because of their key role in ecosystems.
Are Bats Dangerous?
Most homeowners are concerned about whether or not the bats infesting their home have rabies. In addition to the risk of rabies, fungi found in bat droppings can cause histoplasmosis, a lung disease. A buildup of droppings should be decontaminated and removed by a professional.
Bat droppings can cause damage to the home in addition to affecting human health. Their waste also attracts other pests such as cockroaches, and the smell of their feces encourages other bats to infiltrate the house. The most effective way to get rid of bats in your home is to hire a pest control company.
Bat Removal and Control Services
Bats are mammals that are generally considered beneficial due to the large number of insects they consume during their nocturnal flights. As a result, they are protected by both federal and state law.
They become a problem when they enter homes and buildings because they can transmit rabies through a bite and histoplasmosis through their feces, as well as causing a nuisance with their activity and waste.
Bat-proofing a structure is the most effective way to prevent an infestation, and the best time to bat-proof is after the bats have hibernated in the autumn. If you suspect bats in your attic or basement, Rid-A-Bug provides wildlife removal services that are both humane and safe.
Contact us today for more information.