San Diego Professional Bat Removal Services

Bats are very active in San Diego and across California. However, when they enter human structures, bats can cause significant damage, as well as risk the health of inhabitants. Humane removal can protect bat species and eliminate health risks.

Humane Bat Removal in San Diego

Bat populations face many threats, mostly due to humans. Habitat loss, pollution and pesticides have greatly reduced bat populations. Unfortunately, white-nose syndrome, another threat, continues to decimate entire bat colonies. Consider that a large colony can consist of over 2,000 individuals.

The bat’s role in the ecosystem is vital. Bats are important pollinators, and every night, they consume tons of insects. For example, a single bat can eat approximately 1,000 mosquitoes in just one hour! It’s for all these reasons that the Animal Capture Wildlife Control team offers humane bat control services for San Diego residents.

Our process includes inspection, identification, exclusion and sealing entry points to ensure bats are safely evicted and cannot return.

Bat Removal Cost

The cost to remove bats from your home in San Diego is impossible for any wildlife removal company to determine without first assessing and inspecting a client’s property, although cost does depend on the size of the bat colony.

As well, assessment and inspection must be conducted by someone who understands bat behavior, and who is also skilled at bat removal.

Without these elements in place, bats will continue to invade your San Diego property, requiring several subsequent calls to a wildlife removal service.

The total cost of bat removal will be far higher for a San Diego homeowner who doesn’t choose the right company, and much higher for bat species and the ecosystem if they’re not properly or humanely removed.

Bat Trapping vs. Bat Extermination vs. Bat Exclusion 

Like many San Diego homeowners, you may have considered eliminating a bat infestation yourself. Trapping, bat exclusion and extermination are 3 methods which have been used in bat control at properties.

However, there are important aspects of bat life that must be considered, both by homeowners and bat pest control companies in San Diego before attempting removal.

Trapping

Trapping and relocation is a tactic that many in San Diego have attempted. Unfortunately, this never works. Bats are expert navigators with an incredibly keen homing instinct. How keen? Consider the fact that even if you drove them hundreds of miles away from your home, a bat colony would be able to find their way back!

Extermination

Extermination terminates the life of a bat or a colony using various methods. This is never recommended, in San Diego or elsewhere. Bats are exposed to enough threats, and many species are protected and even endangered, making it illegal to kill them.

As well, their vital role in the ecosystem makes extermination completely counter-intuitive. Another reason to avoid extermination is its lack of effectiveness; killing bats won’t resolve a bat infestation. In fact, it can actually make it worse!

The scent of bats, even if they are decomposing, can send a message to other bats that the space was considered a safe roost in the past. As well, San Diego homeowners who exterminate but do not remove bats will experience an increasingly strong odor that can become unbearable.

Of the 24 bat species that call California home, 10 have been designated species of special concern. Therefore, you must have a Department of Fish and Wildlife license to capture or possess bats. Otherwise, you are breaking the law. Unfortunately, there are bat exterminator companies in San Diego.

Bat Exclusion

A bat exclusion device allows bats to escape but prevents them from re-entering a roost. Once all of the bats have left, entry points can be sealed, and the bat exclusion device removed. This method, therefore, is the best and most effective way to get rid of a bat infestation in your San Diego home.

However, when removing bats, timing is everything. It’s essential to understand bat behavior and physiology.

Bats will form nursing colonies between June and August. They raise their young in these colonies. Using any method of bat removal during this time would separate mothers from their babies, who are unable to fly during this stage and would starve and/or freeze to death as a result. A bat will typically produce one offspring each year.

Bats are able to flatten their bodies enough to squeeze through the tiniest spaces. Bats in attics and vents are common, but soffits, fascia and even cracks in exterior walls are just a few of the many points that should be inspected and sealed to prevent future bat infestations.

Why Choose Animal Capture Wildlife Control for Bat Control in San Diego?

It’s true that there are many bat removal companies in Southern California. So why should you choose us if you live in San Diego and think you have a bat infestation?

Experience

Animal Capture Wildlife Control is a leader in bat removal. We possess over a quarter century of experience in bat exclusion from residential and commercial properties in San Diego. Whether it’s a high rise, hotel, home, business or apartment building, the team at Animal Capture Wildlife Control knows how to complete every job efficiently, professionally and reliably.

Licensing

In addition to our extensive bat removal experience, we are dedicated to operating within the law and contributing to the protection of all bat species. To that end, we operate in San Diego under a state trapping license from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Availability

We not only serve residential and commercial clients in San Diego, but all over the state of California. Whether you live or work in Lancaster, Calabasas, Bakersfield, Pasadena or another Golden State city, Animal Capture Wildlife Control can provide you with safe, humane and timely bat removal.

Excellent Service Record

Animal Capture Wildlife Control has been recognized by Governor Pete Wilson for being a positive example of leadership and community involvement. Our spirit of service and selfless dedication to community improvement was recognized by President Bill Clinton.

Our company has been featured on CNN, Larry King Live and the Discovery Channel, and has appeared in several newspapers and magazines.

Thorough Inspection and Addressing of Bat Problems in San Diego

We know all about bats, including where they prefer to roost, and where and how to seal off their entry points so that they don’t return. Our comprehensive inspection includes attic restoration, as well as the repair of any areas you may have previously sealed yourself.

San Diego Bat Removal FAQ

Q: I think bats may be roosting on my San Diego property, but I’m not sure. Is there a way to tell?
A: Yes. In fact, there are many ways. The first is to go outside of your home at dusk, and watch to see if bats appear to be leaving your property from certain areas like your eaves, walls, chimney or similar places. You may also hear squeaking and scratching noises emanating from your attic or inside your walls at dawn.

Next, check for droppings around your property. While bat and mouse droppings do look similar, a bat dropping will turn to dust under pressure, where a mouse dropping will maintain its hardness. You may have also noticed urine stains located near entry points, and a strong odor near these points or inside your home.

Q: Should I just leave the bats alone?
A: It depends on the time of year you discover the bats. For example, if you’re in San Diego and know bats are roosting, and it’s between June and August when they nurse, it’s best to leave them alone until their young are able to fly out of your home.

However, allowing a bat colony to roost on your property indefinitely can result in significant damage to your soffits, screens, wiring and siding, and even affect your homeowners insurance rates. As well, the accumulation of bat guano, or feces, infected with histoplasmosis can cause you to become ill.

The same is true if any bats in the colony have rabies. We encourage anyone who has questions about bats to get in touch with us before attempting any inspection or removal.

Q: Is there anything I can do to discourage bats from being around my property?
A: Yes. The easiest thing you can do right away is to avoid turning on any exterior lights before dusk. Lights attract insects, which bats feed on. The more convenient a food source is for them, the higher the likelihood that they will choose to roost at your property.

Another way to discourage bats from your San Diego property and continue to support healthy populations is to install bat houses. It’s best to do this before bat proofing, so that the bats we remove will have more desirable spaces to move into right away.