August 17, 2018
There are only two kinds of people in the world: those who love bats and those who don't. But, within the group that doesn't love bats, there are some who think it is okay to have bats around, even though they don't like them. They've heard that bats can eat a ton of mosquitoes which, as you probably know, is the most dangerous animal on the planet. While this is certainly true, it is not a good idea to attract bats for the purpose of mosquito control. As it turns out, bats aren't nearly as diligent about doing their job as a professional pest control technician and will leave your home with less-than-adequate pest protection.
This doesn't mean that bats aren't beneficial. It is definitely not a bad idea to have bats on the outskirts of your property. As long as those bats stay where they belong, they can have an impact on the populations of mosquitoes and other unwanted flying bugs around your property. But, the more bats you lure near your home, the greater the chances are that one of those bats could find harborage inside your walls. This can lead to many problems including the introduction of bat bugs and bat mites into your home, damage to your property, the risk of rabies exposure, contamination from bat droppings, and scratching noises in your walls. Here are a few ways you can avoid luring bats to your home:
What Attracts Bats
These tips are specifically for little brown bats, which are the most common pest bats in our service area, but these tips can be applied to other bat species.
Flying insects. These insects aren't just prey for bats, they're also an attractant! We talked about how bats can help to reduce bugs, but bugs in your yard can lure bats onto your property. When you reduce insects, such as flies buzzing around open trash containers, you can reduce the bat activity near your home.
Tree cover. Bats love the safety of a tree canopy where it is harder for birds of prey to get to them. Thinning out trees can help to reduce bat populations. It will also help to control moisture problems near to your home that can inspire other pest infestations.
Fruit. If you have fruit trees, bats will love your property. Not because they eat fruit, but because they eat the insects that feed on the fruit.
Plants. Having lots of plants means lots of insects and, like we mentioned before, insects draw bats to your yard.
If you live in South Carolina and you need help controlling the insects that can attract bats to your home, or you need bat removal service, give us a call today! The professionals at Spencer Pest Services take their job much more seriously than those bats do! We'll help you get the control you need because bats are only beneficial when they stay where they belong!