How dangerous are bats: diseases from bats
In addition to secreting toxic ammonia, bats can transmit other dangerous diseases.
Histoplasmosis in mouse droppings. This is probably the most common and disgusting disease associated with our heroes. So, histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease that causes the fungus histoplasma camsulatum capsulatum. In fact, he lives in the soil in different warm regions. But it is bats and birds that most often "bring" it to humans in their excrement. You just breathe next to him, inhale dangerous fumes - and the fungus has already entered your body. Shaking up the spores is simple: you just need to step on the dried feces or crush it with something else. Symptoms of histoplasmosis resemble the flu, though without fever and complications in vision, heart or hearing. Wear a respirator or mask when removing mouse droppings.
Rabies. Getting infected with rabies from bats is a real prospect. But this danger is somewhat exaggerated. So, mice more often transfer rabies through the stage of paralysis and complete calm, and not through constant aggression. But this also happens, although sometimes people take the usual "nutty" trajectory of a mammal's flight for rabies
So, rabid bats attack whatever they see. Fortunately, infected individuals live for 4-5 days, but during this time they can bite you. Especially often an absurd situation occurs: a weakened mouse lies on the ground, surviving the last day, and a person grabs it with his bare hands in order to "save". So she snatches the unfortunate, infecting with rabies
Hence the important rule - never touch them with bare hands.
Parasites on bats. We mentioned this at the very beginning of the article: parasites that live on bats die immediately after the disappearance of bats from the house - for example, there are special fleas that live only on these animals - therefore, in this case, people and domestic animals can do not be afraid. The same applies to other parasites - they are purely specific. But if you want to be 100% safe, you can always use diatomaceous earth in your house as a safety net: sprinkle it on the nesting site of the bat after you get rid of them.
Ways to deal with bats: pros and cons
All methods of self-disposal of bats at home can be divided into several groups:
The ways | Dignity | disadvantages |
Scare away with ultrasound | high efficiency; harmless to animals and people. | high cost of devices; the need for a current source. |
Smoking out | cheap and simple | low efficiency; fire hazard. |
Folk ways | cheapness; sufficient efficiency; harmless to animals and people. | it takes some time for the effect. |
Laminate entrances | cheap and affordable | labor intensity; low efficiency; the probability of death of the animals remaining inside or their cubs. |
Capture and resettlement | cheapness; sufficient efficiency; humanity. | the need for trapping skills and safety precautions; the need to create a new home for animals. |
Thus, the most effective and humane methods of getting rid of bats are ultrasonic repellents, trapping with relocation, and folk remedies, which will be discussed below.
Effective methods of struggle
There are many options available to explain how to get rid of bats in the country. Choose a method of struggle based on the simplicity of the method and the number of individuals living in the country.
Chemicals
The use of such funds is not recommended. Remember that bats are protected by law and it is better not to destroy them.Also, bats can hide in a crack and die in a hard-to-reach place, exuding a fetid odor during decomposition.
Therefore, when choosing a pesticide, give preference to aerosols. For example, the 876 4-Pack BatRepellent, which includes peppermint. The agent is used to spray the habitats of bats (strictly in their absence). The smell of chemicals will scare the animals away.
Use chemicals only in non-residential areas where pets are free. When working with drugs, do not forget about personal protective measures (masks and gloves).
Scarers
To find out how to get rid of bats in the country, consider using special devices - ultrasonic repellents. This is a safe and effective way. During operation, the repeller emits ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 35-60 kHz. They are not caught by man and are harmless to him. But mice are sensitive to radiation and do not tolerate them.
It is easy to use the device - it is connected to an outlet, the operating mode is set. After 1.5-2 weeks, bats will leave their homes.
Among the most effective repellents are the following:
Name | Description | Features of work |
Tornado-200 | safe for humans and pets, operates from a 12 V voltage source | the ability to change vibrations eliminates the addiction of mice to ultrasound, the device operates within a radius of 200 m |
Hawk-300 | operates from a 220 V power source and requires the presence of an outlet in the house | radius of action 300 m |
Weitech-0300 | there is a mode of switching the frequency of oscillations, it is also effective against ordinary rodent pests, requires a voltage source of 220 V | efficient at work and expels mice in 10-12 days |
Grad A-1000 PRO | equipped not only with ultrasound, but also with the effect of light flashes, which increases its efficiency, operates from a 220 V power source | has 4 operating modes and operates within a radius of 100 m |
In rare cases, ultrasonic repellents can provoke migraines in persons with a high sensitivity. Therefore, it is better not to stay in the range of the device for a long time.
Folk methods
Explore and time-tested folk methods explaining how to get rid of bats in the country.
What means do you fight with bats?
People's Repellers
All these techniques are absolutely safe and do not require material costs:
- Water. Bats do not like moisture and will never settle in damp places. To drive out mice, you need to spray their holes with water daily.
- Naphthalene. The animals have an excellent sense of smell and do not tolerate pungent odors, which include naphthalene. In order to combat uninvited guests, mothballs or pieces are laid out in their habitats (they are previously placed in gauze bags).
- Light. Bats will never return to their burrows if there is no darkness there. Place several powerful light sources in such a way as to illuminate the hiding places of the mice, and after 2-3 days the animals will leave this area.
- Polyurethane foam. It is needed for tight sealing of all cracks possible for penetration. But be sure to make sure that there are no animals in the holes, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to get rid of the stench later if the mice die in closed places.
- Dymokur. Bats do not tolerate the smell of smoke either. To smoke the animals from the chosen territory, use the smoker for 2-3 days.
- Fans. Try using a fan to direct air into the mice den.
- Loud sounds. Although the effectiveness of this method has not been proven, try to scare off the mouse family with the sounds of loud music.
Expert opinion
Mityuk Stefania Pavlovna
If all methods have been tried, but stubborn bats do not drown to leave their homes, contact a specialist. Professionals will explain how to get rid of bats in the country and will help you with this.SES representatives have all the modern equipment. They will relieve you of bats quickly and reliably.
Best Bat Repellent
To begin with, let's figure out what generally repels and scares off bats. And then we will select effective home-made or purchased products.
Scientists claim that repellents against flying rodents can be:
- Naphthalene in the form of flakes or crystals. Vapors of naphthalene will scare away the animals over and over again until the unpleasant odor disappears. Then it will need to be updated. By the way, people are also better off staying away from mothballs: they are very, very dangerous. Therefore, it cannot be used in living rooms, but it must be applied in special protection.
- Bright lights, flashlights and lights. This is not the most effective way, but it still has a repulsive effect on the heroes of our article. Biologists recommend using them to illuminate the unoccupied sleeping spots of the bat. They will not sit on the highlighted area. The main thing here is not to leave "dark zones": buy several bulbs over 100 watts for a large attic.
- Fans are another “green” way. But they must be precisely directed at the source of the threat. What are the cons? You need a lot of fans and they will have to buzz all night. And this is a waste of electricity and an unpleasant sound over the ear.
But what about aerosols, sprays and ultrasounds - you ask? Researchers have a number of questions about these gizmos.
- Aerosols and sprays. They can still be found in the markets. But experts question their effectiveness and efficiency. And poisonous sprays cannot be used at all: after them, animals are unlikely to survive.
- Ultrasound. All the same researchers claim that it does not work at all. In theory, if the devices operated with increased intensity at the frequency of bats' "talks" (from 30 to 100 kHz), this could be a reality. But to expect such accuracy from cheap Chinese devices (others are not sold) means to overestimate their level.
- Folk methods. On this issue, the opinions of experts are not so unambiguous. It is known that garlic is definitely a dead number. Noise curtains and "scarecrows" also do not inspire confidence among scientists. Unless you can use thin-cut aluminum noise makers as an "additional measure".
What can be matched to these rules of the game? To be honest, there are not so many options, here they are:
Naphthalene balls
Just tested mothballs from an adequate manufacturer. What to do with them? The classic recipe says: Place a glass of balls on a 10 by 10 centimeters square of gauze. Hang it up in a pouch close to the bats' nest. And repeat this maneuver as the foul smell fades away.
If you live in the Bruce Wayne estate and you need a lot of balloons, take packages of 400 balloons: this is enough for a full-scale war with bats. There are no complaints from the buyers, so the concentration of the harmful substance is decent here.
BUT: scientists remind that these balls are harmful not only for people, but also for animals
So be careful with them and take all necessary precautions.
Enough about mothballs - look for other high user-rated repellents.
BONIDE PRODUCTS 876 4-Pack Bat Repellent
Bonide is a very reliable company that makes quite a few quality repellents against other pests too. How does this particular product of theirs work? We doubt the effectiveness of this product. The fact is that the composition contains peppermint oil as an active ingredient. And not a single official study has been able to prove its effect on bats. So even some positive customer reviews do not allow us to recommend such a product to you. But that doesn't stop you from trying it - out of all the repellents, it is the only one claimed to be a special bat repellent.
It turns out that we have not found anything better than naphthalene. But he is still dangerous. Therefore, it is better to try to learn how to contact bats without the use of chemistry.
What are bats afraid of?
Bats are very attached to their home, and getting them to leave this place is not an easy task. They are able to resist for a very long time the methods aimed at their expulsion.
For a person who undertakes this business, the main thing is to have patience and endurance. Mice need to arrange living conditions so that they never want to return to this place.
The most effective methods of bats control.
- Mice are quite afraid of water. By pouring cold water on them several times, you can save them from the desire to return to your house for all the subsequent time.
- Alternatively, you can use the old, old-fashioned method of smoking. This method will be effective only in the case of long-term continuous operation of the smoker. If this is not ensured, then the smoke will quickly disperse, and the mice will calmly return to their home.
- One of the fairly effective methods of dealing with flying animals can be special aerosols or ultrasonic repellents sold in specialized stores or on the Internet.
- One of the most important and most effective methods of dealing with mice is to completely brick up all the holes and crevices through which the mice enter the room.
Useful facts
There are many myths and stories about bats. But there are real facts that you need to know before getting rid of these animals.
Do not build nests
The main reason that flying individuals settle in residential buildings is that they do not nest. They just hang from the ceiling, clinging to their claws.
The appearance of offspring
In middle latitudes, bats reproduce once a year - by the end of spring, early summer. The number of offspring in a litter is one or two; triplets are rarely born.
Night mode
Bats are nocturnal. At night they hunt insects, as they have an important advantage over other nocturnal animals - echolocation. During the day, mice sleep upside down, falling into a daze
Rabies
Bats are long-term hosts and carriers of the rabies virus. But not all species of individuals carry the disease. A person can become infected only with a bite.
Marburg virus
The mice are spreading the Marburg virus. The disease leads to the development of severe hemorrhagic fever in humans; at the same time, the death rate is high.
Ebola virus
Flying individuals can infect people with an acute viral infection, while they themselves do not become a victim of the disease. The virus can then spread through close person-to-person contact.
Histoplasmosis
Bats are carriers of the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. The infection is found in animal excrement. Therefore, in order to become infected, it is enough to be present nearby and inhale dangerous fumes.
Parasites
Harmful insects settle on flying animals. But they do not threaten people, as they are attached to their masters.
Why bats are dangerous
Based on the characteristics of the diet of bats, it is difficult to classify them as a pest. After all, the animal mainly feasts on those insects that harm the crops and the garden. In this regard, bats even benefit summer residents and gardeners.
But these mammals also have negative factors that can be called dangerous:
- Smell and dirt. The bats actively fill their habitat with excrement, which depletes the stench.
- Carrier of infections. Bats are carriers of many dangerous infectious diseases.
- Allergy. The feces of animals contain a lot of pathogenic microorganisms that provoke the development of serious allergic reactions. And constantly inhaled air with microparticles of waste products of bats can cause histoplasmosis - an infection of the lungs.
- House damage.Mice, settling in the attics of houses, can gnaw through the waterproofing and spoil the insulation.
- If bitten, there is a chance of contracting rabies.
How to kick a bat out of a house or apartment
It often happens that a mouse, by mistake, flies into the house through an open window or balcony door. The appearance of this animal in the house should not drive its owners into panic, which will only interfere with adequately acting in this situation.
Fundamental rules.
- The first step is to take the children out of the room.
- Next, you need to turn on all light sources in the house and close all windows and doors.
- After evaluating the location of the mouse, you need to open the window that is as close as possible to the animal.
- A room with a frightened animal should be left for 10-15 minutes. The mouse will calm down and possibly find a way out on its own.
- If this does not happen, in no case should you try to expel the mouse with your bare hands or catch it. This behavior can cause the frightened animal to bite in response. After all, a bat bite is dangerous to health. You can try to kick it out with a towel or some other cloth.
- If the bat is sitting in one place, you can cover it with a jar. Further, wearing thick gloves, you need to put cardboard under the jar, with the help of which the mouse will be locked in a space fenced with glass. Thus, she can be taken out into the street and released.
The main thing in the fight against unpleasant neighbors is a humane attitude towards them. Do not forget that some subspecies of this animal are listed in the Red Book.
Is it worth fighting the flying invaders
Even if the excellent soundproofing of the attic hides the fuss and squeak of bats, the problem of getting rid of the guests must be solved, preferably by humane means, otherwise you can seriously aggravate the situation and make new troubles:
- The presence of bats in the home means a serious risk for the spread of blood-sucking insects that parasitize bats. If you do not get rid of the first colonists, the likelihood of getting sick with leptospirosis, getting lissavirus and several more especially dangerous sores increases significantly;
- Living on wooden rafters or attic lathing, bats give off a considerable amount of caustic droppings that corrode wood, insulation and fill the house with a foul smell.
In addition, almost every summer evening, with the exception of rainy days, will be spoiled by the noise and hubbub of a flying flock, which is almost impossible to get rid of.
For your information! In the summer, after the offspring, the aggression of the flock increases sharply, and if you do not get rid of the mouse kingdom in time, everyone who dares to disturb their shelter, primarily cats, becomes the targets of bats' attacks.
Comfortable conditions and the presence of a large number of plants that attract flying insects can lead to an almost tenfold increase in the number of bats in the house. If the situation is out of control, you need to attract specialists who will help get rid of the overgrown colony in a short time. But as long as no more than a dozen adult bats are housed under the roof, you can try to get rid of the invaders on your own. It is clear that killing or poisoning mice with poisons is not worth it, as there is a serious threat of getting the smell of decomposing dead bodies under the roof for many months or poisoning yourself. In addition, the use of such radical means does not justify the goal.
Preventive measures
After expulsion of bats from under the roof, it is necessary to clean from the attic, destroying all traces of their stay, and also to disinfect. The presence of protrusions and holes in the roof can cause re-invasion of bats. To prevent them from coming back, you can use the following guidelines:
close up cracks, repair the roof, or block it, plaster the attic
Even a small hole can cause a problem, since the body of the animal is small;
occupation can be prevented with the use of nets, gratings that block the entrance to pests, while not interfering with air circulation in the attic;
conduct a systematic inspection of roofs, technical buildings for the presence of rodents and their excrement;
for efficiency, the methods used must be repeated several times, paying attention to the nests;
close windows and doors tightly.
First steps to deliverance
To effectively get rid of bats, you need to find what place they have chosen in the room for their habitat. Often, animals prefer attics and crevices in the walls. But, for example, in apartments they live on balconies, in ventilation systems, floorboards. One of the signs that uninvited guests have lurked in this place is the excrement left by them.
Visually, their droppings are dark powder. On the surface, you can really see shiny particles - insect shells.
When you saw that a bat flew into your territory, and you cannot find its droppings, there is another way. You can wait until dusk to find out where the animals come from to hunt. If a shelter is found, it is necessary to trace at what time residents constantly leave it. Otherwise, you will seal the gap along with the animals, which later begin to decompose and exude an unpleasant odor. For everything to go smoothly, you need to be sure before starting work that the mice have gone hunting. It would not hurt to find out what kind of animals came to you.
Since sometimes the reasons for their appearance are the beginning of the breeding season. And in some cases, an animal that has flown in is an accident. And he can leave the room on his own after a few days. Remember that bats live in whole families, so they have many “entrances” to their dwellings.
Control methods
Fighting mice begins with the understanding that the mouse does not pose a physical danger, its destruction unnecessarily is pointless. She can bite (this should not be allowed), but is not poisonous and rarely aggressive. There are both quite professional and old-fashioned folk methods of combating the dominance of bats. Their effectiveness depends on the number of animals and the regularity of the methods used. Constant scaring will have the desired effect, but periodic struggle with mice with long interruptions is useless.
Preparing to get rid of uninvited guests
Elimination of holes through which animals enter the house
Before you go to fight the mice, carefully prepare:
- find clothes with long sleeves and legs (the fabric should be dense);
- buy mittens to protect the palms;
- hair is hidden under a mask or hat;
- protect eyes with glasses;
- choose a suitable means of struggle.
Important! The mouse can bite or scratch, all frightened animals do this, so it is better to protect your hands and face with gloves, a scarf or hat, glasses. Clothes should be tight, the sleeves of the shirt should be tucked into gloves, and the legs into boots
An animal can hurt with its wings, it can fly very quickly.
Fears of bats
Precautionary measures
Bats are very shy, but getting rid of them is not easy, because they stubbornly return to places they already know, no matter how much they are driven away. They can only be scared away by:
- bright light (the attic in the country house is regularly illuminated, artificial light is not so terrible for mice, but it is still unpleasant for them);
- water (these animals definitely do not like to swim, therefore, as an option, you can water them with a hose);
- pungent odors (naphthalene, aerosols with an unpleasant odor);
- smoke (a smoke bomb is the safest option in dealing with mice, but you will have to protect your face with a respirator so as not to get poisoned).
Important! During the day, individuals sleep or are in a state of half-sleep, so they can be frightened by loud sounds and movements, but there is no guarantee that the animals will not just rush from side to side in the attic, but fly out the window. If there are few of them - 2-3, then they are simply caught with their hands or a net
How to get rid of these creatures on the balcony
If the animals settled on the balcony, then you can drive them out of there with smoke. To do this, they set fire to newspapers previously soaked in water and slightly dried, or buy a smoke bomb. In both the first and second cases, it is necessary to follow the fire safety rules and warn the neighbors in advance about the procedure.
After the last individual flies out of its hiding place, the balcony is checked for cracks and holes, and they are caulked. If the balcony is open, then it is better to hang it with an ordinary fishing net, even if the mice try to return to their home, they will not be able to do this, getting entangled in its cells. In the morning, you can simply gently disentangle the animal from the trap and release. Chances are, bats will no longer return, choosing a safer home.
Flying pest under the roof
Under the roof
Mice living under the roof are unpleasant primarily because of the noise they create and the gradually spreading smell. To get rid of them, use:
- smoke bombs;
- water;
- scarers of homemade origin;
- special repellents purchased in the store.
You should be prepared for the animals to return to the country. To prevent this from happening, the roof and attic in a wooden house are examined for holes through which animals entered the room. They all close up.
Important! Alternatively, the animals can be simply overfished using a landing net or by throwing a net over dormant animals. Sometimes a cat helps in the fight
If you open her free access to the attic, then very quickly not a single individual will remain there.
Application of electrical appliances
Particularly popular are special electrical devices that act on bats using ultrasound. Sound waves of variable frequency through the organs of hearing affect the nervous system of animals, so they leave their habitats. The effect does not come immediately, usually it takes two or three weeks.
Ultrasonic bat repeller acts quite humanely in relation to animals.
Devices differ in some characteristics:
- by appointment: for animals, insects or universal;
- at the place of installation: for premises and streets;
- by mounting method: stationary and wall-mounted;
- by impact: with different frequency.
- by the zone (area) of the device.
The device, which emits ultrasound waves, scares the animals away from the attic and prevents them from returning.
In the period from May to July, bats have a breeding period, therefore, it is recommended to get rid of the colonies of bats either before May or after July.