There's probably a list of people you COULD call when you think you have a colony of bats living up in your attic:
1. Your Dad
2. Your significant other
3. City or county animal services
4. A local pest removal company
5. Emergency Services
6. Professional bat removal operatives
7. Wildlife rehabilitators
Your Dad is probably going to give you some great advice, as will your significant other, but there's a pretty chance that they will do what you do when you're faced with a problem that you don't know how to solve … turn to Google. Sadly, the internet is NOT going to be your best friend this time around. There are hundreds of websites filled with bat removal ideas, but the majority of them are not very smart ones.



City or county services are probably NOT going to help you with bat removal, although there may be a specific circumstance that encourages them to lend a hand. Friendly animal services workers do not usually have the kind of training one would need to do a thorough, effective, and safe bat removal job, so by asking someone to “lend a hand,” you're potentially causing more problems than you actually solve. Pest removal companies, again, might lend a hand, but are not usually trained or equipped to deal with what might end up being a really big problem. Pest control usually deals with insects – much smaller animals than your average bat, and these animals are quite easily sorted out with pesticides or fumigants. It is illegal to try and attempt to resolve a bat problem using lethal force, so this activity could land you both in trouble.

We could go on for some time, listing all the ways that various people or companies might not offer up the best bat removal service, but instead we will stop and tell you why the professionals are the best – and the only – way forward. Wildlife rehabilitators deal with the rehabilitation of animals, usually sick or injured animals. Many of them will have a specific area of expertise, so you will need to look for someone who specifically deals with bats. There may not be a rehabilitator local to you, although some are happy to travel.

Professional wildlife removal experts must have bats listed on the website (or somewhere). If you can't see information about bats, ask them (over the phone or using an online form) if they deal with bats. In almost all states, bat removal experts must have appropriate licenses or permits to even consider placing exclusion devices. If the wildlife removal expert doesn't have the right accreditation for the job, you shouldn't use them. Bat removal is a subject that requires a lot of training and knowledge, and just the right tools too. It is often illegal to kill bats, and a bat removal attempt-gone-wrong WILL result in the death or injury to one or more bats.

In the style of Ghostbusters, “Who you gonna call?” Bat removal experts!

Go back to the Bat Removal home page or email us for more info about Who Should I Call About Bats in the Attic?