How To Get Rid Of Bats In Your Roof In South Africa
Overview
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera. With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin membrane or patagium.
If you don’t want your home and your family to suffer from the consequences of bats and their droppings, exert time and effort to get rid of bats in your roof. The sooner you work on this task, the better. It’ll be easier to keep your entire property bat-free if their number is still minimal and hasn’t multiplied yet.
How To Get Rid Of Bats In Your Roof In South Africa
1. Sealants
If bats have been living in your roof for weeks or months, getting rid of them can become a struggle. By this time, the bats have already multiplied and increased its population. Fortunately, you can still enjoy a bat-free home as long as you observe the entry and exit points of these bats. Having this knowledge will make it easier for you to determine where to focus your efforts.
2. Mirrors And Light
And while there are products that you can easily buy to get rid of bats, some methods will require some of your handyman skills. If the first two methods didn’t work for you, consider using mirrors and light to get rid of the bats in your roof. This strategy might require work, but this is a great way of driving away bats without harming them.
3. Aluminum Foils
Using aluminum foils can be a cheaper option if you don’t have enough resources to buy extra mirrors or a steady light source. This method might be cheap, but it’s also one of the most effective ways to get rid of bats in your roof.
For this technique, you just have to buy several aluminum foils (which are cheaper from mirrors) and hang them in different areas of your home. If you suspect that these bats are living in your attic, fill the ceiling of the room with aluminum foils. This technique works because light will automatically reflect on these foils and will annoy the bats.
4. Water Spray
Contrary to popular belief, not all bat removal methods require buying a very specific product or using chemicals at home. If you’re looking for a simpler way of getting rid of bats, using water spray might be the perfect solution for you.
All you have to do is grab a water spray, fill it with water and then spray it in the nests of the bats when they are sleeping or when they are gone during the day. Doing this regularly can shoo away the bats because their natural habitat is now damaged.
5. Christmas Decorations
This bat removal method might be uncommon, but it can guarantee positive results. This works because the movement and shimmer of these decorations can scare away the bats. In fact, these Christmas decorations can be too frightening for the bats that they will never choose to re-enter your home.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
How do I get rid of bats in my ceiling in South Africa?
An easier way is to lay cardboard boxes or black rubbish bags on your ceiling boards underneath the area where the bats are roosting, and once or twice a year, simply remove and replace. The only time guano will smell is if it is wet, so ensure there are no leaks in your roof.
What smell will keep bats away in South Africa?
Bats don’t like the smell of cinnamon, or eucalyptus. Install bright lights to help deter them. Bats also don’t like objects that reflect light, so you can hang strips of aluminum foil, mirrors, mylar balloons, or even old CDs.
Can you fumigate for bats in South Africa?
There are no registered or manufactured poisons designed to kill bats. If you do use an insecticide, like tenting your house for bats, not all of them will die. Many will crawl down the walls and find their way into the house.
What attracts bats to your house?
As with any other wild animal or household pest, they choose to cohabitate with humans for three reasons: Harborage, food, and water. If they have chosen your attic or outbuilding as a roosting spot it is likely because they have discovered that your home or property is a fertile food source.
How much does it cost to get rid of bats South Africa?
A typical exclusion costs $300 to $1,500 or more, depending on the size of the colony and its location. Removing a single bat is much less costly, at around $230 to $650.
Do bats come back to the same place every night?
”They always come back to the same roost. ” And therein lies the problem if the roost is under your roof: bats that have taken up residence in your house are likely to return there after heading south for the winter — if, that is, they decide to leave in the first place.
What home remedy kills bats?
Deterrents and Repellents to Get Rid of Bats
Others say to mix 2 cups of warm water with a few drops of essential oil and a half cup of sugar. Add the mixture to a spray bottle and spray over areas where bats are active. You should apply enough to dampen the area, but not saturate it.
How do I treat bats in my attic?
Professional Bat Removal
- Timing Bat Exclusions. With bat exclusion, timing is everything. Female bats can give birth, one pup a season, at any time from May through August.
- Identify and Fortify Entry Points.
- Inspect and Clean Affected Areas.
- Seal Gaps and Holes.
- Enzyme Deodorizers.
- Restore Insulation.
- Install a Bat House.
How long can a bat live in your house?
If there is no food or water, a bat trapped in a house will die within 24 hours. Even after it is dead, you should not touch or go near the bat. Some animals seem scarier than they are, but bats are every bit as dangerous as they seem. Bats carry numerous diseases which are deadly to humans
Do bats come back to the same place?
Do bats come back to the same place? Some bats leave for the winter, but most hibernate in their nest. In April, these same bats return to their nesting places. If the bats have a nest in your home, they will return to the same spot, year after year.
How long do bats stay in one place?
What this tells you is that a bat has a very good opportunity to live to be as much as 15 or 20 years old if it were to live in or directly around your home. If there are rodents or large insects for it to eat, and it has a safe place to live in, like in your attic, then it can stay there for years without issue.
Does one bat in the house mean more?
If you find one bat in your house, there is a good chance that you have more. Bats tend to be very quiet, so you might not be aware that they are nesting in your house until they have been there for a while.
Do all bats leave the attic at night?
Find all outside entrances, but do not simply seal up all openings at night. Not all the bats leave at the same time, or even all every night, and you will likely trap some bats inside. Install one-way bat check valves (see below) on all entrances you find. Check valves allow bats to leave but not return.
Do bats leave the attic in the winter?
Bats will hibernate in the winter if the temperature stays at around 35 to 40° F. If it gets colder than that, the bats in the attic will migrate out, allowing you to seal up cracks and other entry points once they leave for the season.
Can bats get in through roof vents?
Bats typically enter buildings through openings in the roof, eaves, dormers or gables, via the chimney, attic or roof vents, and holes or gaps in siding. They can get in via gaps of ¼ × 1 ½ inches or holes as small as 5/8 inches diameter.
Do moth balls repel bats?
No. Mothballs are a pesticide for controlling clothes moths. According to Federal Pesticide Regulations, all pesticides (including mothballs) must be used in accordance to the product label.