Bat Removal And Exclusion At Elliott Pest Control, LLC

Elliott Pest Control Does Not Exterminate Bats – Doing So Is Illegal And Inhumane

Pests – Bats

IDENTIFICATION

Maine has eight bat species. Five species hibernate in mines or cave so are susceptible to WNS. These include the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), eastern small-footed bat (Myotis leibii), and tri-colored bat (Pipistrellus subflavus). The other three species hibernate in trees, including the little brown bat, the silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), and red bat (Lasiurus borealis). The most common bats in a Maine home are the Big Brown and Little Brown bats.

White Nose Syndrome In Maine Bats

As a result of White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a newly emerging fungal disease, more than five million cave and mine hibernating bats in the Northeast have died since 2007. Scientific models predict that the little brown bat may face extinction by 2026 if current trends continue, prompting the US Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct an official review to pursue listing northern long-eared and eastern small-footed bats, and consider the emergency listing of little brown bats to the Endangered Species List.

Why Bats Are Valuable To The Maine Agricultural And Forrest Industries

By consuming insects, bats save U.S. agriculture billions of dollars per year in pest control. Some studies have calculated insect-eating to be worth over $3.7 billion per year, and perhaps as much as $53 billion.

This value does not, however, take into account the volume of insects eaten by bats in forest ecosystems and the extent to which that helps industries like lumber. These dollar numbers don’t take into account the crucial importance of bats as plant and crop pollinators. So the exact financial value of bats is notably greater than $3.7 billion per year.

Little Brown Bat

These bats hibernate in Maine structures, especially attics, during the Maine winter. Since the discovery of White-nose (WNS) in 2006, the little brown bat communities have undergone population drops greater than 90 percent. Exact decline information for little brown bats in Maine is lacking.

The Little Brown Bat is small with an overall body size that ranges from 2.5 inches to 4 inches. However, their wingspan can spread to eleven inches when flying. Very light, the little brown also weighs no more than half an ounce.

Big Brown Bat

The Big Brown Bat’s body is 4-5 inches in length with a wingspan from 11 to 13 inches. These bats also hibernate in the winter months in Maine buildings and will roost with Little Browns.

Northern Long Eared Bat

The Northern Long-Eared bat is one of the species of bats most impacted by the disease white-nose syndrome. Due to declines caused by white-nose syndrome and the continued spread of the disease, the northern long-eared bat was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act on April 2, 2015. This bat is rarely seen in Maine and ranges through the United States.

The northern long-eared bat is a medium-sized bat with a body length of 3 to 3.7 inches but a wingspan of 9 to 10 inches.  

Eastern Small Footed Bat

The Eastern Small Footed Bat is protected in a number of states. The body ranges from 3½ inches long, including a 1½-inch tail. This bat gets its name from its small feet which are less than a half-inch but has a wingspan that ranges from 8¼ to 9¾ inches. This bat species flies slowly and unevenly, normally one to three yards above the earth.

MANAGEMENT AND PREVENTION

Bats can be a severe problem because they can have rabies and nest in numbers. Fortunately, less than 1% of bats ever contract rabies. It’s highly unusual for a bat to contact a person, but a sick bat may have no fear of humans or other animals. Bats leave waste, i.e. guano, in homes and businesses, and it can be a time consuming and expensive process to remove bat feces. Please leave bat waste removal for the experts.

Like any other wild animal, bats should never be handled at any time, primarily when found on the ground or in a home. NEVER try to catch a bat with your bare hands! Unless you are 100% certain the bat in your home had no contact with anyone, bats found inside your home should be taken to your local health department for rabies testing. If anyone in the house was unknowingly bitten or scratched, by the time rabies symptoms appear, it is too late for help. RABIES IS A FATAL DISEASE.

ELLIOTT PEST CONTROL IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE FOLLOWING ASSOCIATIONS

Elliott Pest Control, LLC. Is A Maine Licensed Animal Damage Control Agent