Movement at dusk
Scratching, chirping, or a flick of wings as the light drops. You may see them leave one opening, one after another.
Bat removal in Columbus, OH Bats in the attic need a calendar, not a same-day seal.
A bat in the hallway will clear a room. Take a breath. Around Columbus homes the usual guest is a big brown bat, and it is hunting insects, not you.
How do you know it is bats?
A gap, not a hole
They do not need an opening you can put a fist through. A crack about as wide as your thumb, at a soffit, chimney, or fascia, is enough.
Droppings that crumble
Bat droppings pile up and crush into shiny dust. Mouse droppings stay firm. You still do not have to be sure.
One bat in a room is a small problem
If a single bat is circling a bedroom, shut the door to the rest of the house. Open a window or an outside door in that room. Turn the ceiling fan off. Then wait, and keep people and pets out.
Most find the opening. If it is still there later, or this keeps happening, the house has a door they already know. That is the part we should look at.
A colony follows Ohio's calendar
Ohio restricts exterior bat exclusion from May 16 through July 31 when five or more bats are present, because pups cannot fly yet. A second restricted period runs from October 15 through March 31 if any bats are present, to protect bats that may be hibernating. The better windows are April 1 through May 15 and August 1 through October 15.
We can inspect during a restricted period. We do not seal the outside exits while pups are flightless or while bats may be hibernating. Gaps from the attic into living space can be closed anytime, so bats stay out of bedrooms. Four or fewer bats are treated differently from a colony. We count before we promise a date. Bats may not be killed unless a bite or a possible exposure happened. That is a health-department question, separate from the attic work.
Do not pick one up
A bat on the floor may be tired or hurt, especially in late summer when young bats are learning the routes. Bare hands are a bad tool. A bite can be small and still matter. If someone was bitten, or was asleep in a room with a bat, call a doctor or the local health department. Do not wait on that call.
For the building, exclusion is the fix: they leave through a one-way opening, then the gaps are closed so they cannot return. Poison and glue traps are how bats end up in living spaces.
What should you do tonight?
- If one is in a room, close the interior doors, open a way outside, and wait.
- Do not swing a towel at it. Tired bats land, and that is when people get hurt.
- At dusk, from the yard, watch for a stream leaving one spot. That shows us the door.
- If it is May through July and you suspect a colony, we can still look. We will not seal them in.
Common questions
Can you seal them out this week in June?
We can inspect and line up the repairs. Exterior exclusion of a colony waits until pups can fly, which Ohio puts after July 31, unless the state gives written permission. Sealing them in kills the young and often drives frantic adults into bedrooms. Routes into the living space can still be closed now.
What about winter?
From October 15 through March 31, Ohio also restricts exclusion if any bats are present, because bats leaving a roost into freezing weather may not survive. We inspect, and we wait for a legal window unless the state authorizes otherwise.
Are the droppings dangerous?
A heavy pile can grow a fungus you should not breathe as dry dust. Do not sweep or vacuum it. A few crumbs are a clue, not a crisis. We will tell you what the amount means after we see it.
The longer explanation, with sources, is in the guide Bats in the attic.
The longer official version is on the Ohio DNR: bats in buildings.
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