Bats are small flying mammals that are related to rodents. It is common for us to find them on warm summer nights when you can see them fluttering through the night skies of our cities. But how to scare away bats?
The bats
Before talking about how to scare away bats, we must know the reason why we should do it and that is that bats are transmitters of many diseases that directly affect human beings, being considered by specialist virologists as one of the contagion vectors of many diseases. diseases.
In Spain, it turns out to be more and more frequent, particularly in the eastern and southern areas, to see bats almost all year round. On the other hand, in less northern latitudes, it is much more common to find them throughout the year, as is the case in countries in Central and South America.
As a general rule, these are animals that are not considered dangerous or aggressive. In fact, in Spain they are absolutely protected by conservation and environmental regulations; and they are considered a species that is beneficial to humans, because the main source of food for these animals are flying insects, such as mosquitoes, flies, moths and many others.
But it is normal that not all human beings like the appearance of bats and their existence on their properties. The normal thing is that they nest in the hollows of terraces and roofs of buildings and houses, but on some occasions, they decide to form their burrows and take refuge in the most inconvenient places, such as in the screens of the blinds, in the storage rooms. , also in basements and false ceilings.
If you find that there are bats on your property and you feel the need to avoid their presence on it or prevent them from continuing to burrow in it. In this post we will show you some tricks to drive away bats.
Although you have to take into consideration that in most countries, bats are considered a protected species and it is absolutely forbidden to exterminate them, they do not even allow you to drive them away. For this reason, we recommend that you inform yourself first, before proceeding to scare them away, so that you are not going to commit any crime, according to the country in which you live.
Is it dangerous or complicated to drive away bats?
There are different ways to scare away bats, which are not very difficult to put into practice, as long as you follow all the instructions that we will give you, one by one, you will see that it will not be complicated or dangerous to achieve it.
The questions you need to be able to scare away the bats are the following:
- Know at all times what we are doing.
- Protect species that are in danger of extinction.
- Locate the places where bats are found.
- Choose the appropriate time.
- Naphthalene in balls.
- water sprayer
How to scare away bats from our house
If you follow all the recommendations that we have given you before, you will achieve your goal. Now we are going to explain some of them, so that your work on how to scare away bats is easy for you.
To be able to locate the place where the bats are, you can be guided by their droppings, which contain a wide variety of skeletons of the insects on which they feed. When exposed to direct sunlight, they shine in a characteristic way and also have a brittle feel. For this reason, we recommend that you locate the area where you can get the accumulation of said excrement.
But, you must take very special care not to inhale or breathe their feces, since you will be exposed to contracting histoplasmosis, which is a disease that is identified by having symptoms that are very similar to those of the common flu, especially in children and in the elderly.
If you cannot find these collections of droppings, then you will have to try to find them in the areas that bats prefer to roost. For this reason, we inform you that cracks in the facades, the junctions of the walls of the attics with the roof, loose tiles and tiles, roof chimneys, drawers of the shutters and broken windows are points of special interest for them. without mosquito nets.
When you have been able to locate the place where the bats are located, you have to be sure that you carry out a total evacuation of them, without leaving nests or young in the place. As soon as you have made sure that you have left everything absolutely clean, you must proceed to cover and seal all the holes in the places and places through which you think that bats may enter again.
We can recommend that you put metal screens or mosquito nets on all the windows in your home, in particular, in the kitchen and bathroom ventilation outlets. Likewise, it is very important to take advantage of the periods in which the bats go out to feed, in order to plug all the access points to your home, as well as ensure that the entire colony of bats has greeted and there is no adult or offspring left inside. her.
How to use mothballs
Mothballs happen to be a commonly used remedy to ward off bats. The smell of mothballs repels them in such a way that through them you can avoid trying to nest again on your property or in your house. What we can recommend is that you make some small packages with straw and mothballs and when they have gone out to look for their food, you must place them in the nests, when they return you will be able to observe that they avoid perching in the same place.
If, in addition to the use of mothballs, it is possible for you to seal the holes or cracks through which they have been able to settle on your property or in your home, you will have achieved resounding success, because you will see that you will have totally scared them off your land. . Naphthalene can also be used to ward off moths.
In case you decide to use a bat repellent or the one used for dogs or cats, what you should do is dilute it in a spray bottle, in the way that is expressed in the product's instructions. Then what you have to do is spray it all over the places and places where bats normally stay or nest. But if you have pets, you have to do this activity when they are not at home, and leave them away for at least 24 hours to prevent them from becoming intoxicated.
Another measure you can take is to use strips of paper or balloons in the areas where you think they may be, because when they move due to the wind or breeze, the bats will mistake them for animals and this will cause them to be scared And don't come back for a while.
Spray water in the areas where they nest
It is certainly a measure that is a bit radical, but the only thing you will bother them with is getting them wet. First of all, you have to find the place where they usually rest, as we have explained before. Remember that you must find a place where there are bat droppings so that you can find them.
You also have to watch around building columns, on raised foundations, on roof eaves, because these are places that are particularly attractive to bats. When you have located them, you have used a water spray to scare them, so the bats will fly totally disoriented and terrified without suffering any damage.
You have to carry out this activity for several days in a row, so that the bats can notice that it is not an accidental or natural event, but that it will continue to happen to them permanently. When you have managed to get them to leave, it will also be the right time to use a bat repellent and place some strips of paper.
Other methods on how to scare away bats
What should mainly be taken into consideration is that the correct thing to do in this type of situation is to try to scare away the bats, instead of causing them any harm. Remember that bats are a protected species and are of vital importance for the proper functioning of the ecosystem.
Among the most effective ways on how to scare away bats, the ones that have proven to be most effective are the following:
- electric repellers
Bats, being animals that have nocturnal habits, are more than used to moving around in the dark. To do this, nature has endowed them with a kind of sonar that uses echolocation, which guides them between the obstacles they may encounter.
Electric repellents seem to be a very effective option, because as they are electronic devices that are capable of generating waves by ultrasound, vibrations or electromagnetism, they cause excessive interference in the bat's geolocating sonar, causing them to flee from the place where they are. installed.
Among its advantages are:
- With them, the use of toxic products and the dangers that derive from them are avoided.
- No unpleasant odors are produced.
- They do not need an installation, since they work on batteries or connected to the network.
- Its durability is unlimited.
- They are respectful of animals and the environment.
- Repellents
Repellents, such as naphthalene, usually have an unpleasant odor for bats and to be effective, they have to be used in large quantities. That way, the smell will become unbearable for the bats and they will leave.
But just as they annoy bats, they can also disturb people, so you have to take the corresponding precautions when using this option, since their smell can cause allergies and intoxication in people. Other insect and animal repellants have also been shown to be effective against bats.
- Energy
When any source or source of light is placed in the places where bats nest, they will feel excessively bothered, because they are animals that love the dark, which is why they will not be able to bear the lights and will leave Elsewhere.
- Fiberglass
Another option that is handled is to place a fiberglass coating on ceilings and walls, in order to prevent bats from perching in those areas. When you have managed to drive away the bats, you must remember to clean the area that was infested well and try to seal all possible cracks and entrances, in order to prevent them from returning to the house.
Remember that all these indications and suggestions that we have given you must be executed at all times, with the appropriate knowledge of the rules and laws that govern animal protection, in particular that of bats. Another aspect is that you must take into consideration is the time of year in which we decide to scare bats from our home or property.
This comes to mind, because it is forbidden to frighten bats during the breeding season, due to the regulations that protect species that are at risk of extinction, so you will have to find out what time of year they bats breed and do your expulsion procedure when that season is over.
The bat is a creature that has been stigmatized by the role it has always played in horror movies. Normally, it is associated with demonic and dark forces, when the truth is absolutely different.
It is a kind of living being that has a function in its ranking in the food pyramid. In fact, if bats and other species of animals that feed on insects did not exist, there would be no way to enjoy the wonderful summer nights.
Royal Decree 139/2011, of February 4, for the development of the List of Wild Species under Special Protection Regime and the Spanish Catalog of Endangered Species is the one that applies to the case of bats, so we advise you to find out about its content, before taking any action, so that you avoid possible sanctions for ignoring the rules.
We hope that with all these recommendations and tips you will be able to solve your infestation problem and know how to scare away bats from your property, without causing harm to them or other animals.
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