In order to safely and legally move a colony of bats from your attic or building, you will need to have a little knowledge and understand of how they work. To be specific, you will need to know about a bat's mating habits.



Why?
Because bats that are in a maternity roost usually can't be moved along for legal reasons. Most bats mate during the fall or spring — it depends, once again, on the species. Some will mate towards the end of the fall, storing sperm until spring comes when they are then ready to fertilize their eggs. Others will mate during spring, carry the pregnancy for a month or so, and then have babies in the later part of summer.

It does mean that the roosts can't be moved or harassed at all during that time. If you were to get rid of the adult bats (females), you're running the risk of locking young bat pups inside the building. If they are not yet quite old enough to also fly out of the roost, they will die inside. Towards the end of autumn, just as winter starts to peek through, is the best time to get rid of bats from any building. This is when it is often legally okay to do so, and when the young pups are about old enough to leave the roost. Those that aren't will only be a few days off and, therefore, still have a chance to survive. It does mean that removal methods need to take place over a period of days or weeks, however, rather than just trying to get rid of them all in one night.

Go back to the Bat Removal home page or email us for more info about Bat Mating Habits & Why They Are Important