As a homeowner in Tampa Bay, you want to enjoy the natural wildlife around you, but having bats take up residence inside your home can be a little too close for comfort. Bats are a highly protected species in Florida, so killing or harming them is illegal. The good news is there are humane ways to remove bats from your property while respecting the law. When bats find their way into attics, under siding, or behind shutters, it's critical to understand what attracted them in the first place and how to safely evict them. By addressing what draws bats to nest in homes and using natural deterrents, you can reclaim your space without hurting these beneficial creatures or breaking the law. Working with a professional pest control company familiar with Florida's regulations around bat removal, like Super D Pest Control, is the best way to humanely and legally remove these ecologically important critters.
Why Bats Are Nesting in Your Tampa Bay Home
As the fall and winter season sets in, reports of bats making their nests in people's homes tend to rise. Bats are attracted to homes in Tampa Bay for several reasons. The hot, humid climate provides an ideal environment for many bat species, and urban areas offer shelter as well as abundant food sources like insects. Homes specifically provide spaces for roosting, such as attics, under eaves, in crawl spaces, behind shutters, and under roof tiles.
Once bats find a suitable space in a home, they begin building colonies and raising their young, known as pups. Female bats, called dams, typically give birth to one pup each year. Over time, a maternity colony can grow to house hundreds of bats. Guano, the accumulated droppings of bats, can cause damage and odor issues if allowed to build up in large amounts.
In Florida, it is illegal to kill bats or destroy their roosts, including those inside your own home. The best way to humanely remove bats from homes is through non-lethal exclusion methods, using one-way doors or gates that allow bats to exit but not re-enter a space. Sealing up entry points after the bats have been excluded prevents the colony from returning. Professional pest control companies like Super D Pest Control use humane, non-toxic methods to safely and legally remove bats from homes according to Florida laws protecting these beneficial animals.
Proactively installing rust-proof wire mesh, caulk, weatherstripping or chimney caps can help deter bats from nesting in homes. Reducing available food sources around homes, fixing structural damage, and using motion-activated lights or sounds are other natural deterrents. Working with wildlife officials and pest control experts helps ensure bats are removed properly and homeowners remain compliant with laws protecting these ecologically important creatures.
Humane Bat Removal Methods for Florida Homeowners
As a homeowner, you want to resolve any bat infestation in a humane and ethical manner. Super D Pest Control follows all laws regarding bat protection and removal in Florida. Our certified technicians use non-lethal, natural methods to safely and humanely remove bats from structures.
Exclusion
The most effective approach is exclusion, or blocking access points to prevent bats from entering a home. Bats can enter through holes as small as 3/8 of an inch in diameter, so a thorough inspection is required to identify all possible entry points. Once identified, we seal cracks, crevices and holes with caulk, wire mesh, or netting.
Removal of Bats Already Inside
If bats have already gained access inside, we use humane exclusion methods to allow bats to exit but not re-enter. We install one-way exclusion devices, called valves or cones, over entry points. The bats are able to crawl out through the cone, but cannot fly back in. The devices are left in place for 5 to 7 nights to ensure all bats have exited before permanently sealing any holes or cracks leading into the structure.
Sanitation and Guano Removal
Accumulated guano (bat droppings) must be properly removed and sanitized. Guano can carry diseases and the odor will continue attracting bats. We clean, decontaminate and deodorize the area where the bats roosted. Any damaged attic insulation is also removed and replaced.
Super D Pest Control follows best practices to humanely and legally remove bats from buildings in Tampa Bay. We understand the vital role bats play in controlling insect populations and are committed to ethical and non-lethal bat exclusion services. Our goal is to resolve issues between humans and bats in a way that benefits both.
Protecting Florida's Bats - Working With Licensed Professionals Like Super D Pest Control
As a homeowner, it is important to understand that there are laws in place to protect Florida's bat populations according to the FWC. Attempting to exterminate bats yourself can lead to legal trouble. The most prudent and responsible course of action is to hire a licensed professional to humanely and legally remove any bats roosting in or around your home.
Companies like Super D Pest Control have proper training, access to permits, and experience in bat removal and exclusion, along with many other wildlife and pest removal services. They will inspect your home to determine how the bats gained access and the size of the colony roosting on your property. Once they have assessed the situation, they will develop an exclusion plan to remove the bats in a gradual, non-lethal manner according to the laws protecting these ecologically vital creatures.
The exclusion process typically involves installing one-way doors or gates over entry points that allow bats to exit but not re-enter. The bats are not trapped inside but instead gently encouraged to move on by blocking access. As the bats leave each night to forage and feed, the one-way devices prevent their return. Over time, as the bats are unable to get back in, the colony will abandon that roosting spot in search of a new location.
Only after the bats have fully vacated the area will the entry points be permanently sealed to prevent future infestations. Working with a professional not only ensures legal compliance but also avoids the health hazards associated with bat guano like histoplasmosis. Protect your home and Florida's bats - contact a licensed professional for humane bat removal and exclusion services.
Call Super D Pest Control For Any Wildlife Or Bat Removal Needs
If you have a bat colony roosting in or around your Tampa Bay home, the most responsible and lawful solution is to call Super D Pest Control to handle the removal. Attempting to resolve the issue yourself through inhumane or illegal means will only make the situation much worse. Protecting Florida's vital bat populations is important for the health of our ecosystem and natural environment. For a free consultation, call Super D Pest Control today at (727) 433-5310 or click the "Let's Chat" tab below to contact us online.