Bat Facts
Bats are often thought of as a bad nuisance animal, stemming from the famous blood sucking vampire bat. Well rest assured, there aren’t any in the United States. Though there are more than three dozen varieties in the US, The Little Brown and The Big Brown bats are the most commonly dealt with in buildings.
Here are some bat facts that will help you understand our furry little friends:
- Bats are not blind.
- Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight.
- 70% of bats consume insects, sharing a large part of natural pest control.
- Bats can be found almost anywhere in the world except the polar regions and extreme deserts.
- Bats find shelter in caves, crevices, tree cavities and buildings.
- There are 1,100 species of bats worldwide, making up a quarter of the world’s mammals.
- Bats can live more than 30 years and can fly at speeds of up to 60 mph.
- Bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour.
- The world’s largest bat is the “flying fox” that lives on islands in the South Pacific. It has a wingspan of up to 6 feet.
- The world’s smallest bat is the bumble bee bat of Thailand, which is smaller than a thumbnail and weighs less than a penny.
Bats Cause Damage
Bats can cause severe damages to your home or commercial property if allowed to stay a while. They like to take up residence in your attics and walls.
Bats Can Spread Disease
Although very important to the ecosystem, because of their diet, mosquitos, beetles, and moths, bats are not something we want to have in our home. Bats can and sometimes do carry rabies, a serious concern for anybody dealing with them. Histoplasmosis is more likely to affect humans, which is found in their droppings, making it a serious issue and something that needs to be dealt with if bats are residing in your attic.
Why do so bats carry so many diseases?
Nipah. Hendra. Ebola. Marburg. SARS. Even Coronavirus.
All of these nasty pathogens have surfaced in humans in just the last 50 years, and they are all carried by bats.
This video explains the relationship of bats to disease in an easily understandable way.
Bat Droppings Look Like Rodent Droppings.
To the untrained eye, bat droppings look like rodent droppings, although quite different. They are typically approximately 3/8 inch long, resembling rice. They are typically black when fresh and brown as they age and, when crushed, have a sparkle resembling their diet (insects). See the example pics below.
Health Risks of Bats in Your Attic.
If left untreated, the health risks include but are not limited to histoplasmosis and other diseases.
The problem begins when dried bat guano is disturbed, and “bat guano dust” is dispersed in an attic. When these microscopic spores from the dried bat guano are inhaled by humans, it can cause a serious respiratory disease called histoplasmosis. Histoplasmosis is a respiratory illness caused by inhaling the fungus spores Histoplasma capsulatum from the guano. It has flu-like symptoms that include fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough, and chest pain. It can be fatal, especially for those with weakened immune systems or lung diseases such as asthma.
Therefore, it is not recommended that the homeowner try to clean up guano themselves.
Having the proper equipment to resolve the problem quickly and efficiently will make your home safe for you and your family once again.