Don’t Be Left Hanging Out With The Bats Until Next Season!

Florida is home to approximately 13 species of bats in Florida. They are active at night and are most common near water. They can be seen emerging from homes and buildings through open spaces at dusk. Sounds of squeaking and rustling noises can also be heard coming from eves, chimneys, ceilings and walls which may indicate that a colony may be present. They can also be found roosting under bridges, hollow trees, caves, and crevices. Another sign of an infestation can also be seen by the bats leaving behind large amounts of guano (bat feces) outside of the home or building. If you believe that you may have bats, now is the time to act. It is illegal to harm or kill bats in Florida, but they can be legally excluded from a home or building structure in an effective and safe manner by a certified and licensed professional who specializes in bat removal.

Why Bat Removal?

Not only can bats cause extensive damage to your home or building, they also carry various diseases that can be transmitted to humans such as rabies and histoplasmosis. Rabies can be transmitted by a scratch or bite from a bat while histoplasmosis can be transmitted by inhaling the spores of the histoplasma capsulatum fungus from the bat guano. Although the disease primarily affects the lungs, symptoms vary greatly. There have been situations where other organs have been affected which can be fatal if left untreated.

Any bat exclusion of bat colonies must be done between August 15th through April 15th.

In Florida, bat exclusions are illegal during their maternity season from April 16th through August 14th. It is during this time that bats gather to give birth and raise their young. The season lasts until the young bats are able to fly and fend for themselves. Any bat exclusion work done during the maternity season would require special permitting from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

To learn more about bats, check out our page on Bat Removal.