It’s common for bats to take roost in homes in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary area, most often inside of attics, but sometimes also in walls, crawl spaces, garages or sheds. You’re probably wondering how much damage bats can cause if they get inside your home. Bats don’t tend to be deliberately destructive, and don’t engage in the clawing and gnawing behaviors of many other nuisance wildlife species. Even so, bats can cause severe damage to your home if allowed to roost inside for a long period of time.
The main problem with bats is their waste. The feces and urine produced by bats is called “guano” and it’s highly corrosive. If a colony of bats begins roosting in your attic, their guano will accumulate rapidly and the results can be devastating. As guano piles up, it will destroy attic insulation, floors, walls, pipes, and anything else it lands on.
Not only does guano stain surfaces and corrode metal, it is also exceptionally foul smelling. If you don’t notice a bat infestation for a long enough period, your first warning sign will probably be the musty stench of guano emanating from your attic. Over time, guano may even seep through your ceiling, completely destroying it and forcing you to conduct extensive repairs.
When you discover bats roosting inside your home, don’t wait and hope they’ll go away while guano keeps piling up. Call Southern Wildlife & Land Management today if you need professional bat removal and prevention services in North Carolina!
NCSU Alumni