The Humane And Effective Way To Remove Bats From Your Sioux Falls Home

Bats in Sioux Falls are often beneficial creatures; many bat species help pollinate certain plants and flowers and keep insect pests in check by eating them. However, they can also spread diseases like rabies and create generally unsanitary conditions if they end up nesting in your home. For the best in Sioux Falls pest control, contact Olson's Pest Technicians. We'll help you get rid of bats in the safest, most environmentally safe, and most effective way possible.

How To Identify A Bat

Before we discuss the many benefits of professional bat control in Sioux Falls, let's look at how you can identify a bat in your house. There are several types of bats you might encounter in the Sioux Falls area, but the ones most likely to enter your house are the big brown bat and the little brown bat.

As the name suggests, the first thing that sets the two apart is their size. Big brown bats have a wingspan of 12 to 16 inches, while the average wingspan of a little brown bat is between 8 and 11 inches. Big brown bats are usually dark-colored with pale stomachs and lack fur on their wings. Little brown bats tend to have a greater variance of color. Big brown bats can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour, which is faster than any other kind of bat. Little brown bats are slower, more irregular in their flight, and only travel around 12 miles per hour.

Now that we've discussed how to identify these creatures, we'll examine the health risks that bats in your Sioux Falls home may bring.

Why Bats In Your Home Are A Health Risk

Though bats are often helpful creatures that do a lot of good for the environment, they shouldn't be in your home. Most notably, bats are one of the most common carriers of rabies.

Even though most bats are not rabid, the chance is not one that you should take lightly. Rabies is a deadly disease; it produces symptoms much like the common cold and other similar viruses, but it results in damage to the brain and death if not treated properly and quickly.

Bat feces also presents some possible issues. A single bat can leave behind 20 or more droppings every day, and bat droppings in attics can accumulate rapidly. Bat droppings also contain a fungus that is known to cause histoplasmosis, a lung disease.

How Bats Find Their Way Indoors

How do bats get in houses? There are several ways this might happen. They might enter through vents to the attic or openings in the underside of the eaves. Chimneys are another common point of entry, or they may simply enter through a door that is left open. Once bats are inside your home, it can be difficult to get them out, as you will want to remove them without injuring or frightening them.

Here are some simple tips for keeping bats away:

• Install screens behind attic vents and on chimneys.
• Put in door sweeps and don't leave doors open at night. 
• Seal any openings in the exterior of your house. 
• Install a bat house on the perimeter of your property to give the bats somewhere else to nest. 
• Inspect areas like chimneys, attics, and belfries regularly for signs of bats. 

These steps should minimize the risks of a bat infestation in your home, but if you do discover one, it's time to call the professionals.

Contact Us For Humane And Effective Bat Control

If you need bat control specialists for your Sioux Falls home, contact Olson's Pest Technicians. We've been solving pest problems for homes and families across the Upper Midwest since 1966, and our pest management professionals have over 80 years of combined experience in the pest control industry. We are a family-owned company that has been serving South Dakota and several other midwestern states for decades. Our bat treatments are safe, humane, and environmentally friendly. If you want the bats in your house to find another home, call Olson's Pest Technicians to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Sioux Falls, and take advantage of our pest-free guarantee!