Springtime Bats

Springtime is a busy time for both people and animals. People are getting outside and planting their gardens and spending more time outside in the yard. Animals, like bats, are also emerging after a long winter as well. Bats, in particular, are very busy in the spring as they emerge from their hibernation roosts. This is a time of year when many female bats are ovulating and becoming pregnant with their young.

Maternity colonies

Beginning in late May, female bats are separating themselves from the males and forming what are known as maternity colonies. These colonies are made up of females and their pups. Bats are faithful mothers who work very hard to raise their young into maturity before fall rolls around. They separate themselves, so they can spend all their energy focused on their pups because many bats only have 1 pup every year. By the late summer, the pups will be able to fly and will become independent individuals.

Inspecting homes in the spring

This is a time of year when people can inspect their homes for maternity colonies or for small groups of bachelor males. If a maternity colony is discovered in the attic, cellar, or any area of a building, great care needs to be taken to remove them properly and humanely. An exclusion process can be started by installing one-way doors at all possible access points. One entry/exit point needs to be left open so that mothers are able to get to their pups because the pups are unable to fly until a few weeks after they are born.

The exclusion process can be continued once the babies are able to fly. This is when the final one-way door can be put in on the single entry/exit point that was left open for the mothers so that the bats are able to get out, but they are not getting back in. Once all of the access points have been covered, within about a week all the bats will have left and then the holes can be sealed up so that they do not return.

One-Way Doors are a great option

These doors allow people to take an active role in removing the bats from their home or building without having to come into direct contact with them. It also allows them to not have to wait for the busiest season for professional removers. This could be a long wait because there will be a lot of people dealing with the same problem. It is a good idea to confer with a professional to find out when the best time is to install the doors and so they can answer any questions that someone may have.

One of the great things about the one-way door exclusion process is that it is humane for both bats and people. They do not have to come into direct contact with one another. There are also many species of bats that are protected by law and this method will not allow for them to be injured in any way. They are an important part of the natural environment because they are a major part of keeping insect populations from getting out of control.