Bat Exclusion in Cream Ridge, NJ

Challenge

Brown bats are social bats that usually return to the same roost year after year and start maternity colonies in the spring. The young are born in June and July. The only permanent method to get rid of bats from a home, and keep them out, is to exclude them by bat-proofing. There are no chemicals registered in New Jersey for killing bats and no lethal means should be used for any bats. Bats are able to squeeze through openings as small as 3/8 of an inch wide.

In recent years bats have been the source of the majority of human rabies cases acquired in the United States. If you are bitten, or scratched immediately cleanse the wound thoroughly with soap and water, and seek prompt medical attention from a physician or hospital emergency room. Report the bite or other exposure to your local health department as soon as possible.

Bat exclusion can not be performed during breeding seasons. In New Jersey, that is June through mid-August. Bats that can’t get back in, would be forced to leave their pups (babies). The pup without his or her mother would die, and you would have dead bats in your home.

Now that we are past breeding season Cowley's Pest Services are the experts to call for your bat problems. This homeowner in Cream Ridge, NJ saw bats coming and going in her home. After a careful inspection, I discovered the bats entering the home through a portion of missing mortar around the chimney of the home.

Solution

After letting the homeowner know of the condition of the chimney, I was able to identify the specific area the bats were using by locating oily rub marks. Rub marks are the transfer of oil and dirt from the bats to the the surface they are climbing on, often blackened surfaces. I then installed an excluding cone. These pests cannot grip the inside of an excluding cone, so once they exit they cannot re-enter the same way. The cones are safe, humane, reusable, and recyclable.

I then sealed any remaining openings in the chimney and surrounding parts of the house. The house had previously been excluded but the deteriorating condition of the chimney allowed further entry into the block work of the chimney. We leave the cone on about 7-10 days, checked for any other openings and with none found, the job is now complete.