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Bats are important member of the wildlife community who on occasion will enter buildings seeking roosting sites. Unfortunately, at times they can become a problem. Bats typically enter structures for various reasons. Some of these reasons are protection from adverse weather, protection from predators and a safe environment in which to rear their young. Before designing a bat control program, the professional bat specialist must be familiar with bat identification, habits and biology. At Ace Wildlife Solutions, we spend a great deal time and effort continually learning about bat behavior. As bat specialists we are called on to remove these normally beneficial creatures from the common area of a structure or from more secluded areas such as attics and basements. Occasionally, the service requested involves the removal of an individual bat, but in most situations, a colony of bats must be removed from the structure. Ace Wildlife Solutions does not use poisons, pesticides or traps in our exclusions. The use of pesticides to kill (control) bats is illegal and increases the risks (particularly of rabies) associated with bats falling to the ground and being handled by children or eaten by pets. If pesticides were utilized for bat control, the applicator would be in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and possibly subject to a $25,000 fine. There are no pesticides that are currently labeled for bat control. Be cautious with anyone that tells you he or she has an "easy way" or "I'll just spray". Unfortunately, there are companies doing so-called "bat work" that have little or no working knowledge at all about bats. Ask questions. Test the company's knowledge on bats. Their habits, life cycle etc. And NEVER allow anyone to try to intimidate you with scare tactics (bats will attack, all bats have rabies) etc. Mothballs or products containing naphthalene or ammonia and ultrasonic repellent devices will not cause bats to abandon a roost site nor will they prevent bats from entering a structure. Ace Wildlife Solutions does not recommend the use of these methods under any circumstances.  In the past, mechanical techniques using glue boards, snap traps on the ends of poles, filed-off nails driven into the ends of broom handles and tennis rackets have been used to kill bats. These techniques are not recommended. These methods are exceedingly cruel to the animal and their use may only incapacitate the bat thereby increasing the risk of human or domestic animal contact with the injured bat and the risk of being bitten.
Ace Wildlife Solutions does a careful inspection of the structure inside and out and will reveal the location of the individual bat or the roosting colony as well as the access holes to the roosting site. Bats can use many openings to enter and exit a structure. Some openings, called primary entrance and exits, are used more frequently. Any areas that allow air leakage may potentially become a point of entry for bats, such as openings around power lines, water pipes, and television cables; chimneys and louver fans; air intake and exhaust vents, just to name a few. Unlike rodents, bats cannot create entrances by chewing; therefore, bats must use existing openings. An opening of 1/4"xl/2" is sufficient for a bat to squeeze through.
Once bats have established a roost inside a structure, interior openings that provide access to human occupancy areas must be located. Ace Wildlife Solutions will locate any openings inside the structure that can provide access to bats. Common sites include gaps under and over attic doors, gaps around pipes passing into the ceiling, pocket doors that slide into the walls, loose fitting baseboards, and broken plaster. Bats may also enter basements and other rooms by way of chimneys, hollow walls, pipe chases, etc.
 Exclusion will be done with the elimination of the minor exit openings with principal openings remaining unsealed. Properly installed one-way excluders over these primary exit(s) will allow bats to leave but will make it impossible for them to reenter the structure, (Ace Wildlife Solutions does not use tubes or traps of any kind as excluders). Bats are often persistent in seeking to reenter a roost, and returning bats may congregate around sealed entrance ways for a brief period of time, but the bats will leave after they realize they cannot reenter the structure. Exclusion measures are implemented when the risk of trapping bat pups inside a building is slight. In the summer months, maternity colonies with flightless young will complicate exclusion efforts. Young animals are not able to leave the roost on their own, and if Mom is kept from the colony, the babies will surely die. Secondly, nursing females will be highly motivated to find a way back into the roost and at times will injure them selves trying. However, interior bat proofing will prevent bats from entering the living spaces of a building and can be done at any time of the year. Non-lethal control of bats is the most economical, humane and eco- friendly method for managing bat populations. Special care is taken not to harm these animals while excluding or removing them from a building. At Ace Wildlife Solutions we understand that bats are one of nature's critical components in maintaining a balance in our ecosystem and must be protected at all costs. Our proven methods can and do serve both man and animal. Bat guano (droppings) can at times present a problem to the home or business owner. The odor, ecto-parasites and possible health risks along with structural damage associated with bat guano can be corrected in a safe and eco-friendly manner. Ace Wildlife Solutions offers guano cleanup, sanitizing, and deodorizing of the affected areas.
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