Bat Control in New York

Understanding the Risks of Bats in Your Home

While bats are beneficial to our ecosystem, they do not belong inside your home. A bat colony in your attic or walls can create serious health hazards and lead to property damage that worsens over time. Understanding these risks is the first step toward realizing why professional removal is essential for your family's safety.

• Rabies Exposure: Bats are a primary carrier of the rabies virus in New York. A bite or even a scratch from a bat can transmit this fatal disease, making their presence a direct threat to people and pets. Never handle a bat yourself.
• Histoplasmosis from Guano: Bat droppings, or guano, can harbor a fungus that causes a respiratory illness called histoplasmosis when the spores are inhaled. Disturbing a pile of dry guano during an improper cleanup attempt can be extremely hazardous.
• Structural Damage: The accumulation of guano and urine is highly corrosive. Over time, it can saturate and ruin insulation, stain ceilings and walls, and even begin to compromise the integrity of wooden support structures in your attic.
• Strong, Persistent Odors: A large, established bat colony produces a powerful, unpleasant ammonia-like odor from their droppings and urine. This smell can permeate the entire home and is very difficult to eliminate without professional intervention.
• Attraction of Other Pests: Bat guano and the bat parasites themselves can attract other pests, such as cockroaches, bat bugs (similar to bed bugs), and mites, leading to secondary infestations that further complicate the problem.

Due to these significant health and safety risks, you should never attempt to handle a bat or clean up an infestation on your own. A trained professional has the right equipment and knowledge to manage the situation safely.

Our Humane Bat Exclusion and Cleanup Process

At Parkway Pest Services, we follow a strict, multi-step process for bat removal that is both humane to the animals and highly effective for homeowners. Our Certified Wildlife Experts ensure that every step is handled professionally, from initial inspection to making sure the bats can never get back inside your home.

• Thorough Inspection and Identification: Our experts begin by inspecting your property to confirm the presence of bats, identify the species, locate their primary entry and exit points, and assess the extent of the guano contamination and any damage.
• Humane Bat Exclusion: We install one-way exclusion devices over the main exit points. These specially designed devices allow bats to leave the structure as they normally would at night to feed, but prevent them from re-entering. This is a safe, no-harm method.
• Complete Sealing of Entry Points: Once we are certain all bats have left the building, we remove the one-way doors. We then permanently seal all other potential entry points, even gaps as small as 3/8 of an inch, using high-quality materials to prevent future infestations.
• Guano Cleanup and Decontamination: If necessary, our team, equipped with proper protective gear, will safely remove contaminated materials like insulation. We then clean and decontaminate the area using professional-grade sanitizers to neutralize odors and destroy harmful fungal spores.
• Restoration and Repair Services: For attics or other spaces with significant damage from the infestation, we can provide or recommend repair services to restore the area to its original, safe condition, ensuring a complete solution.

Our comprehensive approach ensures we not only remove the current bat colony but also secure your home against future entry. We are dedicated to providing a permanent solution that restores your safety and peace of mind.

Why You Should Never Handle Bat Removal Yourself

Attempting to remove bats on your own is extremely dangerous. Any direct contact with a bat risks exposure to rabies, a fatal virus. Professionals use personal protective equipment and specialized handling tools to manage bats safely, eliminating the risk of bites or scratches to you and your family.

Bat removal is highly regulated, and many bat species are protected under state and federal law. An expert knows the legal requirements, including the proper times of year for exclusion to avoid harming newborn pups. Mishandling a removal can lead to significant fines and other legal issues.

Simply scaring bats away is not a solution, as they will always try to return to their established roost. A professional exclusion focuses on finding and sealing every potential entry point. This meticulous, detailed work is the only way to guarantee a long-term solution to the problem.