Atlanta Wildlife Solutions, LLC - Bat Removal - Atlanta, Alpharetta, John's Creek, Cumming, Roswell GA - Bat Control Do you have bats in your attic or chimney? We are an Atlanta based animal removal company that specializes in the safe removal of bats that may be living in your home or building. After we conduct bat removal, we can do the necessary repairs to make your home bat proof. Once the bat cleanup has been performed and the area is decontaminated, Atlanta Wildlife Solutions, LLC, can perform the attic restoration on your home. This involves removing insulation and other disease causing organisms that may be associated with the bats colonizing in your home. We get many calls for bat removal in the Atlanta, GA area each year. Most homeowners never realize they have bats in their attics and want to know how they can get rid of the bats. Moth balls do not work, nor does any other chemicals or ultra sonic pest repellents. Bats are protected by State and Federal alike, so it is against the law to use chemicals or pesticides in the removal process. We offer many services for bat control. Please feel free to contact with any questions pertaining to bat removal in the Atlanta, GA area. We will be happy to assist you with Insurance claims as well. Please call us at 770-363-5350.

Common Bats found in Georgia homes

The Big Brown Bat

The Big Brown Bat is one of the 15 species of bats found in Georgia. It is also one of the largest growing up to 5" long with a wingspan of up to 14". They can weigh up to 1 ounce but more commonly weigh 1/2-3/4 of an ounce.

Mostly found roosting under loose bark or in the cavity of a tree. However they will also utilize caves and cracks in rocks. They have also been found in buildings and under eves. In the winter time they either hibernate living off of stored fat, or they migrate to warmer climates where food is still available.

Big Brown Bats are insectivores so they only eat insects. Including beetles, wasps, bees, flies and more. Usually hunting above the tree canopy they are one of the first bats to emerge in the evening. They find their food using echolocation.

Big brown bats are the only vespertilionids to produce audible sound during flight. Its voice is a click or a sound like escaping steam.

Big brown bats are relatively ferocious when captured. They usually squeal when handled and produce a rapid ratchetlike sound; they continually try to bite and usually draw blood when they succeed in doing so. They cannot produce a serious wound, however. In the water they swim well, but they cannot take off from the surface as can some of the smaller bats (Myotis and Pipistrellus). In winter they migrate or seek hibernation quarters in caves or buildings.

This bat can often be found in buildings or near the entrance to a cave. In Georgia, this bat is a commonly found in Georgia attics, thus becoming a nuisance animal.

In Georgia, bats mostly mate in the fall and winter. The female does not usually ovulate until the spring when the insect population increases, but she can retain sperm for months before ovulation occurs. Most female bats only have one pup per year. For their size, bats are the slowest reproducing mammals. Pregnant females of some species will gather together in nursery colonies. Bats do not build nests. They normally give birth from mid-April through July, and their young begin to fly within 3 to 6 weeks. Juveniles are then weaned from their mothers and by mid-August the young are able to forage and fly on their own. Bats will not reach reproductive maturity until they are about one year old. This is considerably longer than most small mammals.

Another bat commonly found in Atlanta, GA homes is the Little Brown Bat.

Little Brown Bat bat removal georgia

The Habitat of Little Brown Myotis

The LITTLE BROWN BAT is native throughout the Unites States, Canada, and Mexico. They are commonly found in Georgia homes and particulary enjoy being bodies of water, which usually provide a suitable amount of insects hatching in the spring. The little brown bat roosts most of the day and is most active 2-3 hours after sunset. The Little Brown usually roosts in tree hollows, caves, tunnels, mines, and man made structures.

The Little Brown looks similar to a Big Brown Bat bit is much smaller, with a wingspan of 9-11" and body length of 2-3 inches, it weighs in at about 1/4 oz. The color varies in brown shades, but the fur on belly is more buff in color than on their back.

Little Brown Bat Facts:

Order: Chiroptera (Bats)
Genus: Myotis
Family: Vesperilionidae (Vesper)
Species: Myotis lucifugus
Length: Average body is 3 ½ inches long, with the females being a little larger than the males.
Wingspan: 8-10 inches wide
Weight: Average weight is about ¼ ounce.
Lifespan: 7-10 years +
Diet: Insectivore; their food consists of mosquitoes, midges, spiders, moths, hoppers, small beetles, and caddisflies.
Habits: Little brown bats roost in the daylight hours but come out to hunt for food after sunset. They hibernate September/October – April/May
Population: 100,000 – 1,000,000
Conservation Status: Not Endangered
Threats: Little brown bats have no natural enemies. Their only threat comes from humans. Human threats include deforestation, pesticide use, the use of cyanide while mining, destruction of caves, bat collection for experimentation, and control measures used on nursery colonies.
speeds up to 22mph
may hibernate up to five months in cooler areas.

Little Brown Bat Reproduction

Bats have an interesting life-cycle in the fact that while mating occurs in the fall, true fertilization is held over until the spring. The female’s gestation lasts about 80 days and then the young are born May – July naked and blind. Bat populations increase fairly slowly due to the fact that the female gives birth to one usually on and occasionally, two offspring.

It’s interesting to note that the mother bat, while spending most of her roosting time upside-down, gives birth right-side up! The baby bats crawl up the mother’s belly and latches onto a teat for about two weeks. The babies may ride along on mom or stay hanging in the roost until they are about 4 weeks old. Then they take flight and are on their own.

The colonies that are traditionally thought of hanging around in caves together – and may have bat numbers in the thousands – are mothers and their babies. While the male bats also roost during the day, they are solitary in this behavior. Another difference in the roosting areas of the opposite sexes is that the chosen nursery roost is in warmer areas such as buildings, attic, loft, and other well insulated areas.

Homeowners often find bats that have made it into living areas of their homes. This usually occurs when bats are disorientated from cooler air from air conditioning units in the summer months, or when a sick bat falls from the roost and makes it way through recessed lighting or through cracks. Although harmless, bats are often beneficial animals to have around your home, but conflicts arise when bats take up residence within the attic or other areas inside the home. Nuisance bats can be kept out by "bat proofing" or sealing the home with suitable materials to keep them out.

How to keep bats out of your home

When bats take up residence in a structure where they are not wanted, there is only one safe, legal, and effective technique for getting rid of them. The process is known as "exclusion”. Excluding bats from their roost sites involves the use of a one-way device which allows them to exit the structure, but prevents them from returning. Exclusion devices should be used for four consecutive days before the opening is sealed. However, when outdoor temperatures begin to drop, so does insect activity. Therefore, when colder weather comes to Florida, there is little food available and bats may become inactive. Some bats might not exit the structure in which they roost during cold weather. In order to keep bats from being trapped inside of a structure, bat exclusion devices may not be used if the National Weather Service forecasts four consecutive days of the minimum temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Following exclusion, the structure needs to be rendered inaccessible to prevent recolonization by sealing all entrance points. These small mammals can enter a building through the tiniest of openings.

Article on bats from Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources.

Bats Should be Welcomed, Not Feared

Halloween has come and gone, but superstitious fears and negative myths about bats live on, fed by the creatures’ unusual habits and appearance. Some people panic at the thought of a bat in their home. Others are better informed and realize that bats are for the most part harmless and fascinating.

“Many people despise bats because they perceive them to be aggressive carriers of disease,” said Jim Ozier, program manager with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. “While bats can transmit rabies to people, such incidences are extremely rare. Most bat bites are the result of an obviously sick bat being handled. A wise precaution is to avoid handling bats with bare hands.”

Georgia is home to 16 species of bats, all of which seek a sheltered roost during the day and emerge at night to eat flying insects such as moths, mosquitoes and beetles. Some species, such as the gray bat and southeastern myotis, depend upon specific suitable caves for roosting. Others, such as big brown bats and evening bats, are more adaptable and use hollow trees and buildings. Red bats and Seminole bats conceal themselves in foliage. All Georgia bats use echolocation, a biological sonar, to find food and avoid obstacles while flying rapidly in the darkness.

Female bats typically give birth to one or two young in the spring. Often, several females form a nursery colony in a warm, sheltered spot where they bear and raise their pups together. The young are ready to join the adults in flight two to three weeks after birth. Most bats hibernate during the wintertime, but some will awaken and emerge to forage on particularly warm winter evenings.

Especially during the past century, many bat populations have been dramatically affected by widespread alterations to their roosting and foraging habitat, including loss of critical forested areas and caves. Some species have adapted to using buildings for shelter, but old buildings are often destroyed and bats are usually not welcome when they move into the walls or attics of people’s homes. Additionally, water pollution has impacted many waterways valuable to bats because of the aquatic insects they produce. Widespread use of insecticides has further contaminated and reduced food supplies.

Handling bats responsibly

Though bats should be an appreciated part of our natural heritage, they are not often welcomed when they begin to roost in buildings, especially if they occasionally stray into someone’s living space. Their droppings, commonly known as guano, build up at the roost and can create unpleasant odors. Guano accumulations also sometimes harbor a fungus whose spores, if inhaled in concentrated amounts, can cause a lung infection known as histoplasmosis. On the other hand, guano is a highly prized fertilizer in many areas.

“In most situations, nuisance bat problems can be resolved with no harm to the bats and little expense to the homeowner if detected early,” Ozier said.

Like most species of native wildlife, all bats are protected by state law; there are no legal remedies that involve killing or harming them. Instead, they should be excluded from the structure by sealing openings and using one-way doors that allow the bats to come out in the evening to feed, but do not allow them to re-enter. Exclusions should only be done during early spring and late summer/fall to avoid entrapping young that cannot yet fly.

Homeowners should be particularly alert to the presence of bats early in the spring so they can be excluded prior to birth of the young. The free-tailed bat is a species whose numbers sometimes grow to many thousands at a single roost if not excluded promptly.

Once the bats are gone, it is essential that the building is repaired and maintained to prevent future occupancy. Large guano accumulations should also be removed by a qualified technician. Ideally, an alternate roost structure should be installed nearby when evicting bats. Homeowners should seek technical advice from a qualified source before attempting to handle bat exclusions themselves.

“If a homeowner hires someone to do the job, they should make sure the person is qualified, permitted and aware of proper exclusion techniques,” Ozier said. “It is generally a good idea to get multiple estimates and references for larger jobs.”

Like many other species of mammals, bats can contract rabies and an infected bat can spread the disease through biting. Bats that present a potential health risk by entering people’s living spaces should be evicted immediately.

Bat protection

Today, we know enough about bats to admire and respect them for their critical roles in nature, and to attempt to resolve some of the problems that affect their long-term survival. Six of Georgia’s bat species are considered to be of special conservation concern because of threats to their populations. Three of these, the gray bat, Indiana bat and Rafinesque’s big-eared bat, are listed for special protection under the Georgia Endangered Wildlife Act. The gray and Indiana bat receive even stronger protection on the federal Endangered Species List.

Bat management

Several states are forming groups similar to Georgia’s Bat Working Group to support the North American Bat Conservation Partnership. The Partnership and working groups seek to identify research, survey, monitoring, management and public education efforts needed to promote conservation of bat populations and support programs that meet these needs.

For more information on bats, please contact the Georgia DNR/WRD Nongame Conservation Section (478-994-1438) or visit www.georgiawildlife.com. Also, visit the following Web sites: Georgia Bat Working Group (http://www.basicallybats.org/gbwg/aboutUs.html), Bat Conservation International (www.batcon.org) and North American Bat Conservation Partnership (www.batcon.org/nabcp/newsite/index.html).

Georgians can support nongame wildlife conservation, education and recreation programs by buying a wildlife license plate or by donating to the “Give Wildlife a Chance” State Income Tax Checkoff. Sales of the bald eagle/American flag and ruby-throated hummingbird tags are the primary funding source for the WRD’s Nongame Conservation Section.

Endangered Bat Species in the continental USA

Gray Bat: Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma .
Indiana Bat: Connecticut, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia.
Ozark Big Eared Bat: Oklahoma, Arkansas.
Virginia Big Eared Bat: North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia.
Lesser Long Nosed Bat: New Mexico, Arizona.
Mexican Long Nosed Bat: Texas, New Mexico.