With the young bats well able to fly, it seems that bats are showing up everywhere! They have been found in attics and chimneys in Olathe, Overland Park, Lea Wood, Lenexa, Prairie Village, Shawnee and Merriam, Kansas on a regular basis.
With the abundant source of water in the area such as the Missouri and Kansas rivers and the numerous lakes, it creates a virtual bonanza of insects on the bat's menu.
KANSAS CITY
Combine this food supply with plenty of homes and commercial buildings for roosting and that makes for the perfect situation if you are a bat!
What do bats look for when selecting a roosting site?
One important thing is it must be out of the weather. The inside of an attic or cave makes for some of the best locations that are out of the wind and rain. Air flow is equally important. Bats love to select areas where the air flows across their bodies keeping them cool. The inside of an attic can reach 130 degrees and bats could not live for long in this environment without the air flow.
Bat also commonly roost near water sources such as a pond or stream. If the food is nearby, it is less of a "commute time" to get to it. Bats may be a little like humans. They do not travel far for food if they don't have to.
How do you know if you have bats in your attic or building?
Most people will either see the guano that a bat leaves behind or will experience a bat coming into the living structure of the home. The latter is not a great experience and I would not recommend it to anyone! Although bats do not normally enter a home, it does happen.
Squeaking, screeching and visual sightings of bats leaving the home or building are generally the clues that let most people know they have an infestation. Others will notice bat guano. Guano has the same appearance as mouse droppings. The difference between the two is that most bat guano is made up entirely of insect skeletons and will fall apart when pressed down on. Use a tool or stick to do this!
If guano is suspected in the attic, do not go into the attic. Bat guano can be a source for histoplasmosis and you do not want to subject yourself to this danger.
Now that you know way too much about bat guano, let's move on.
So, you hear squeaking and see the bats leaving your house, now what do you do?
Leaving the bats in your attic or building is not the answer and they must be removed. Leaving the bats could lead to more problems such as the bats entering the home. Believe me; you don't want to wake up with a bat flying around your home in the middle of the night.
Professional removal is the best solution to your bat pest control problem. Trying to resolve this problem by yourself often makes it worse. Bats carry rabies and should not be handled. If you should find one outside the home or building that is laying on the ground, do not pick it up! Each year people are bitten because they picked up a bat they thought was dead. This could be a sign that the bat is rabid.
Call a professional to have them examine your home if you suspect a bat infestation. Your Wildlife Professional in the Kansas City, KS and surrounding area is A All Animal Control.
Are The Bats Out Of Control In Kansas City? KANSAS CITY
0 comments:
Post a Comment