In order to explain just how much damage a colony of bats — even a small one — can do to an attic, you must understand what can first cause that damage. In almost all cases, it isn't actually the bats themselves. Bats are good creatures that eat a lot of bugs. We owe them a lot, and that's why we shouldn't look at lethal force methods to remove them. With bats, it is often the guano or bat droppings and urine that causes the most problems. Bats do not chew. They don't exactly cause damage trying to get into your home, but they will somehow manage to find every single crevice that you don't.



Bats leave a lot of droppings behind, and that's the thing that creates half of the damage you'll need to contend with. If the bats are in the attic, the guano could contaminate everything that it comes into contact with, including attic insulation. In some cases the entire attic will need to be re-insulated. You can't leave contaminated material up there because that will attract more bats, other animals, and also spread disease. The guano build up will also add moisture, which will probably destroy everything it comes into contact with. Old photographs will fade and start to curl up, if they aren't already covered in the droppings or urine. Your belongings will be contaminated and you may need to throw that contaminated material away, especially if you an't clean it thoroughly enough.

All of that added moisture will create problems all by itself too, in the form of mould — a known disease-causer. If you suffer at the hands of the mould, you'll have days off work sick and may even need to pay out for medical costs. That's not exactly classed as damage, but I'm sure your bank balance would say something different. Moisture brings water damage, and that can create structural problems, along with heavy piles or acidic and corrosive droppings, and with enough time … Well, the ceiling above you could fall right down on top of you. Thankfully, you are likely to see the mess seep through the ceiling before that happens. Do not ignore any weird stains that appear above your head! Despite not actually causing any damage problems themselves, bats are not animals that you'll want to have (quite literally) hanging around in your attic for very long.

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