Do not take any bat removal action until you know where the law lies. In some instances, the law will be species-specific; threatened or endangered bats will be protected at federal and state level. Some bats are prevalent in certain areas, almost disappearing entirely for others — the ways and means to remove the animals will change frequently. You can't just assume everything is just the same as it was last year, or a few years back when you last had the same problem. Do you know that the Northern Long-Eared Bat as an entire species is listed as “Threatened"

There are a number of bat species listed on the "Endangered" list in the United States too:
-Virginia Big-Eared Bat
-Gray Bat
-Ozark Big-Eared Bat
-Hawaiian Hoary Bat
-Mexican Long-Nosed Bat
-Lesser Long-Nosed Bat
-Indiana Bat

If you move slightly further afield — to Canada — the news is almost as miserable. There is one "Threatened" bat species called the Pallid Bat. There are also three further bat species on the "Endangered" list — the Tri-Colored Bat, Little Brown Bat, and Northern Long-Eared Bat.

If getting rid of bats requires such specific knowledge, you may wonder who would be equipped to take on the challenge?
Well ... it depends really. If you think you might have one of these Endangered or Threatened bat species, calling the appropriate authorities is wise so that YOUR bats can be especially protected, and also moved on in the safest way. If you do not have a threatened or endangered species of bat, the appropriate people for the job are either wildlife rehabilitators who specialize in bats, or expert bat removal technicians. In some states (most of them actually), both of these will need to be licensed/insured/both before they can do the job.

Professional bat removal experts can train for two to three years before they even consider removing a single bat alone. This is to ensure that the job doesn't get messy, in a legal or literal sense of the word. You'll need to know all of this stuff if you choose to remove bats in the attic yourself ... especially the species you're dealing with.

Go back to the Bat Removal home page or email us for more info about The REAL Information You Need to Know Before Catching Bats