(exclusion only)
(inspection, removal, and preventative care)
Cost to hire a bat removal service varies greatly by region (and even by zip code).
Get free estimates from animal/pest control specialists in your city.
The average price for removal of a small colony is $150.
No, it’s not a flying rat. That furry little creature with wings is a bat! Bats are always on the lookout for a good home, and sometimes that means your home—specifically chimneys and attics. While bats are important to our ecosystem, it’s no picnic to share your home with them. They are active at night, meaning you can’t get a good night’s sleep, and sharing a living space with bats can also be hazardous to your health.
Bats are hard to get rid of on your own, which is why you should look into hiring a professional. Pros are able to remove bats without killing them and can help identify how they are getting into the house so you can prevent the problem from returning.
Female bats are constantly on the prowl for a warm location to roost and eventually raise their young, and they often occupy chimneys and attics. The cost of hiring a professional to remove bats from the attic varies based on your location, but the average price for removal of a small colony, including the initial inspection but excluding cleanup after the removal, is $150.
There are dozens of species of bats in the United States, but there are three main culprits that like to move into houses: the little brown bat, the big brown bat, and the Mexican free-tailed bat.
These bats hibernate during the winter and in the late spring the females start to look for places to roost and raise their babies. This is what usually leads to bats coming indoors. Chimneys and attics are warm and safe from predators, which makes for an inviting space for a mama bat. Bat pups develop to maturity during the summer and eventually leave home in autumn.
Bats are active at night, and you will usually start to hear them chirp and flutter starting around dusk. Bats are extremely beneficial to the environment, but when they get in close proximity to humans, it can become a problem.
Many bats are insectivorous, and some can eat up to their weight in insects every night! Unfortunately, bats can sometimes carry rabies, but the bigger issue lies with their droppings, or guano 1.Human exposure to guano can lead to a respiratory disease known as histoplasmosis.
Many bats in the United States are very small and can fit into tight spaces. Occasionally, a bat will accidentally wander into your house and get stuck, but as the weather starts to get warmer, say around late spring, female bats will start to look for a safe place to roost.
Due to regulations against harming bats, you may have to live with a bat colony until the juveniles have aged enough to fly on their own, usually late summer or early fall.
Female bats want to find a warm place where they can raise their young, and they can make their way into a house through vents, chimneys, cracks in the wall, and open windows and doors.
Female bats want to find a nice cozy place to raise their young, and there are a few prime locations where you might hear the signs of a bat colony.
Location | Problems | Cost of Removal (not cleanup) |
---|---|---|
Chimney | Bats can enter the main part of the house | $150 |
Attic | A larger space could potentially make way for a larger colony | $150 |
Walls | Harder to remove, bats get lost | $150 |
Bats are very important creatures in terms of insect control and for that reason they are protected by federal and some state laws. For that reason, bats are not exterminated and killed. Instead, the bat removal process is called exclusion and involves allowing bats to leave the roost and sealing off any way they could possibly re-enter.
When you call a professional, the pros can perform a variety of services. The first that will need to happen is a home inspection. Since bats become active at dusk, someone will need to observe the house at that time of day to determine the points of entry. The bat removal expert will then build what’s known as an exclusion door. This allows bats to leave, but doesn’t let them get back in.
Most professionals charge by the project, divided into services. You can expect to pay at least $75 for an initial inspection. The actual bat exclusion and removal will cost at least an additional $75, depending on the size of the bat colony. Sealing up entryways is yet another part of the process, and you can expect to pay at least $100 per gable vent to prevent bats from returning and an additional $20-$50 to seal any other holes that bats may enter through. The cleanup process can often cost significantly more than the removal, as it involves both cleaning bat droppings and replacing insulation.
As mentioned above, guano accumulation is unhealthy and can lead to respiratory disease. Part of the bat removal process also requires cleaning up guano . Guano is commonly used as fertilizer, but when it builds up in an enclosed space it develops a significant odor and can cause a respiratory disease known as histoplasmosis. Guano needs to be removed by a professional equipped with all of the appropriate biohazard gear. In many cases, the attic or wall insulation will need to be replaced, which adds to your overall costs. Without seeing the scope of the guano problem, it’s difficult to give a price estimate for guano removal, as the problem could be contained to only a few square feet or could be as large as the entire attic.
Bat removal is only one part of the process. Bats leave behind guano , which poses health risks. Guano removal is a separate service, but it’s often provided alongside exclusion services. The price for guano removal can vary significantly depending on how severe the problem is. If you have an unchecked bat colony with hundreds of members, that add up to a lot of guano . The work is hazardous and may take several days, depending on the severity. Attic restoration and guano removal is often billed as a single service, usually because it’s virtually impossible to remove guano without replacing at least some of the attic insulation. Depending on the severity of the situation, this could potentially require replacing all of the insulation in the attic. The cost of attic insulation will vary based on how much square footage needs to be covered and the type of insulation you use. These materials can cost anywhere from $0.44-$1.45 per square foot, and labor can cost about $0.95 per square foot.
The only way to ensure that bats don’t come back is to seal all of the possible entryways. Each gable vent will need to be screened, and all holes will need to be sealed. The cost for this is outside of the cost of an inspection. The average price for screening a gable vent is $100 per vent, and the average price to seal holes ranges from $20 to $50 per hole.
In most cases, bat removal is covered by homeowner’s insurance, but you will need to consult your specific policy to verify.
The best way to deter bats from coming into your home is to seal off any possible entryways. That means screening vents and chimneys and sealing any holes. Insect control can also deter bats. If they don’t have a good food source, they will look elsewhere.
The simple answer is that you wait for it to leave and then seal up the building while it’s gone. This process is called exclusion.
Bats become active during the twilight hours. You may hear fluttering and other noises from your attic from dusk until dawn, as bats come and go during the night to feed. Bats also produce guano , or droppings, which can quickly develop an unpleasant odor. Outside of actually seeing a bat, those are some of the signs to look for.
There are many different types of bat repellents on the market, but the bad news is that none of them are guaranteed to work. The best way to keep bats from entering your home is to seal holes and screen attics and chimneys, and insect control.
The cost varies based on your location and the severity of the problem, but the average price for a professional inspection and bat removal is $150, not including attic restoration and home repairs.
Mosquito control is one way to make your yard less enticing to bats. Bats are small and can come in through vents and chimneys. The best way to keep them out is by sealing off any potential entryways.
Cost to hire a bat removal service varies greatly by region (and even by zip code). To get free estimates from local contractors, please indicate yours.