Michigan Bat Removal Company | Exclusion, Control, Prevention
Here are some areas bats need to be removed from...
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Roof Line Gap
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Gable vents
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Under shingles
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In soffits
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Under ridge-vents
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Hanging above door
Michigan bat removal is our specialty. Getting rid of bats from homes and attics is what takes up about 90% of our time. We are constantly studying and researching how to get rid of bats, bat species in Michigan, and bat habitats. Bat Removal is only one technique to get rid of bats. Bats tend to roost in high sheltered areas like eaves, vents, and shingles. Bat removal can be done by hand. For example a bat may be hanging on a blind or a curtain in a home, so we go in and grab it by hand and take it away. Bat removal should never be done by bat trapping, poisoning, exterminating, or by using bat repellents. There is only one correct way to remove bats and that is by a live bat exclusion.
Bat Removal From Intersecting Roof-lines
One of the number one entry points for bats is through the eaves or soffits. Generally this is at the point of intersection where 2 roof lines come together. Often there are construction gaps because the roofers leave openings to lay the shingles under so no bare wood is showing. Well in reality they are suppose to be back flashed but 99% of the time they are not. Bat removal from eaves is done with an exclusion tube or bat netting. Bats will fly out but not be able to return.
Bat Removal From Gable Vents
If eaves are the number one point of entry then gable vents are a close second. Bats will land on the louvers and hang on the interior screen. Some of the older homes may not even have screen behind the louvers. If there is no screen the bats have easy access into your attic. Even if the vents are screened doesn't mean the bats can not gain entry into the attic. Bats will roost on the thin window screen behind the louvers and rot the screen away. Once the feces and urine build up it will eat right through the screen. As the air flow moves through the gable it will bust the screen wide open. Thus bats have free opportunity to fly right into your attic.
Bats are removed from gables a few different ways...
- You may either remove bats by hand if the louvers are far enough apart. You have to wear gloves and be comfortable on a ladder. This really isn't a recommended way to get rid of the bats from the gable vents.
- If the bats in the gable vent is a recent problem and the screen from the inside is intact you may want to consider this option: From inside the attic spray water onto the bats. The bats will fly out. Once they are out screen over top of the lovers to prevent the return. Its also important to make sure any other openings on your home are sealed as well.
- The third option and most effective is to install screen over top of the louvers where the bats are roosting. Leave one corner open so you can install an exclusion device. The bats will fly out but not get back in. You still have to make sure the rest of the home is sealed tight.
Bats Under shingles
- We find bats roosting under shingles all the time. Shingles get nice and warm for the bats to live under during the summer. Bats can be removed from underneath shingles by hand but most of the time they're hard to get at. We have been on bat removal projects with slate top shingles, cedar shake shingles, steal roofs, and California style roofs.
- Slate Rock: We once worked on Monastery home in Lake Orion with over 10,000 bats living it. This was a difficult project but nevertheless one we were willing to take on. We used a roofing caulk to seal around all of the tiles. Not an easy task but one that had to be done.
- Cedar shake: style homes can be difficult as well. Generally it is the ridge cap that possesses the most trouble. Cedar shake ridge caps are mostly open to the outside with no screen. It's import for these roofs to ventilate properly. We screen all the caps from inside the attic using a 1/4" hardware cloth. But before we can do this we have to lay bat netting over top of the ridge cap so the bats can get out but not return. A lot of homes in Fenton, MI have this style roof.
- Steal roof tops: are hard to work on. They are very slippery and require advanced safety equipment. Many times the bats will enter or roost under the grooves where the steal roof pieces meet with one another. A lot of times we seal in between all the grooves so the bats can not enter into the attic or home.
- Cailifornia Style: In Petoskey, MI we removed bats from this style home. The bats on these roofs will enter through the eaves, but mostly through the ridge vents. Here we have to lay bat netting over the vents so the bats can get out but not back in. Once the bats are excluded all of the ridge vent caps have to be undone and screened underneath. Once we screen underneath them we nail the caps back on.
Bat Removal From Ridge-Vents
- Plastic ridge caps: may be the best for airflow but they are absolutely horrible when trying to prevent bats from entering the attic. Plastic ridge caps like cobra style can be effective bat proofing vents if installed properly. There must be a screen underneath and the gutter edge of the vent should be secured to the roof line. If these caps are cut too long they will present a wave to them allowing for bats to enter through open areas in the ridge cap. Plastic also heats up on the hottest days of the year forcing the plastic to return to its original state which is flat. Roof tops are not flat and neither should the ridge caps. Nails also become loose over time and start to come out of the ridge-vent.
- Metal ridge caps: will lose the rubber end pieces letting the bats right in through the end caps.
- Interwoven ridge caps: Maybe the best type of ridge cap to use to deter bats would be the interwoven style. Maybe not the best for ventilation but definitely the best to keep bats out. Unless the cap is damaged bats can not get through them.
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Bat Eviction Topics and Quick Links
Bat Removal Services in These Areas
Common areas we serve throughout our Michigan service area are: Bay City, Dewitt, Eagle, Elsie, Fowler, Maple Rapids, Ovid, St. Johns, Westphalia,Bellevue, Charlotte, Dimondale, Eaton Rapids, Grand Ledge, Mulliken, Olivet, Potterville, Sunfield, Vermontville, Waverly, Burton, Clio, Davison, Fenton, Flint, Flushing, Goodrich, Grand Blanc, Linden, Montrose, Mount Morris, Ottisville, Swartz Creek,Dansville, East Lansing, Lansing, Leslie, Mason, Okemos, Stockbridge, Webberville, Williamston, Jackson, Grass Lake, Almont, Attica, Clifford,Columbiaville, Dryden, Imlay City, Lapeer, Metamora, North Branch, Otter Lake, Argentine, Brighton, Fowlerville, Hartland, Howell, Pinckney, Whitmore Lake, Armada, Center Line, Chesterfield, Clinton, Eastpointe, Memphis, Mount Clemons, New Baltimore, New Haven, Romeo, Saint Claire Shores, Shelby, Sterling Heights, Utica, Warren, Midland, Carleton, Dundee, Estral Beach, Luna Pier, Maybee, Monroe, Petersburg, South Rockwood, Auburn Hills, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Clarkston, Clawson, Commerce Twp., Farmington, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Franklin, Holly, Lake Orion, Madison Heights, Milford, Novi, Oak Park, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, South Lyon, Southfield, Troy, Walled lake, Wixom, West Bloomfield, Wolverine Lake, Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Merrill, Oakley, Saginaw, St. Charles, Zilwaukee, Bancroft, Byron, Corunna, Durand, Lainsburg, Lennon, Morrice, New Lothrop, Owosso, Perry, Vernon, Akron, Caro, Cass City, Fairgrove, Gagetown, Kingston, Millingston, Reese, Unionville, Vassar, Ann Arbor, Barton Hills, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Ypsilanti, Canton, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Wayne, Westland