Relocate Bat – Humane Wildlife Removal

Is it a Good Idea to Relocate a Bat?

Bats are known to be carriers of parasites and disease. Their nocturnal nature also means that they are active and noisy while you’re trying to sleep. It comes as no surprise when people want bats that have moved into their attic removed.

It’s a good idea to get bats out of your home and relocate them elsewhere, just not in the way you might think. Don’t try to catch or trap bats; it’s tricky, harms the bats, and won’t solve the problem. Instead, your best option for bat relocation is to exclude them from your attic and let them find their own way to a new home.

Read on to learn more about the best way to relocate a bat.

Why you shouldn’t trap and relocate bats

When you’re dealing with bats living in your attic, it may seem like the best solution is to trap them and relocate them a reasonable distance away. Unfortunately, it’s not as straightforward or effective as it may seem.

The first problem with trapping bats is that it’s illegal in most states. Even if it wasn’t, their airborne nature means that you can’t just set a cage trap like you would with other wildlife.

Bats also have brilliant homing instincts that will enable them to find their way back, even if you take them a few hundred miles away.

So how do you legally and successfully relocate bats?

How to relocate bats using exclusion

The best way to relocate bats from your home is to use exclusion. Be mindful that you can’t do this during the maternity months, from mid-April to late August. During this time, it is illegal to use any exclusion or control methods on bats, as there are young that are unable to fly and will be left behind.

To exclude the bats, you’ll first need to work out where the bats are coming in and out. At either dusk or dawn, when the bats are leaving or returning, watch to see where their entry points are. Then use hardware cloth or steel mesh to seal up all other access points and install an exclusion door over their main entrance. Once the bats have left, they won’t be able to get back in. Wait a week or so and physically check the space if you can, to be sure that all the bats have left before sealing up the exclusion door as well.

Bat houses

Once you have sealed the bats out of your attic, they will need to find an alternative place to live. To prevent them from moving into your neighbors’ attic or other undesirable locations, you can provide them with an alternative place to live.

Bat houses provide shelter for the bats so that you can reap the benefits of having neighbors that keep the insect population down without them nesting in your attic or barn. You can either buy or build your own bat house and install it on a pole or tree away from your home, about 15 to 20 feet above the ground.