There are several known dangers a bat infestation poses.
Did you know bats can be dangerous to humans and animals? If provoked, like most animals, they can bite. A bat infestation transmits diseases and can be a health liability. From their bat bites, their droppings, and their parasites, bats in your attic are a real nuisance. Read on to find out more.
The Diseases Bat Infestations Transmit
The Fungus Histoplasmosis
How dangerous is bat guano in your attic? Bat guano or droppings can be detrimental to your health because they carry the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. If it dries, it becomes air born. Then if a person inhales it, it can give you a lung infection called histoplasmosis. And, it can be fatal if histoplasmosis spreads beyond the lungs and into the whole body.
Professionals highly recommend you get a professional to clean up the bat guano in your attic.
Dreaded Rabies
Bats are the second-largest rabies exposure posing a threat to humans and our pets. Raccoons are the first. The rabies virus can be transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. A human can also gain exposure to rabies through contact with bat fur, blood, guano, or urine. In humans, bat bites are extremely rare. If you suspect that you have a bat issue, do not take any chances.
Nipah Virus
Another dangerous disease involving bats include the Nipah Virus in Southeast Africa and Asia. Transmission of this disease is mainly by the fruit bat and can be fatal. Symptoms vary from none to fever, cough, headache, trouble breathing, and confusion. The condition can be spread and may worsen into a coma.
Hendra Virus
This disease is also linked to fruit bats or flying foxes. Both Hendra and Nipah can cause neurological and respiratory diseases in human beings.
Coronavirus and SARS
A family of the original form of viruses linked to respiratory diseases, coronavirus, has been found in multiple bats species. Bats can also transmit Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, known as SARS.
Bacterial Growth
Bacteria growth forms from an accumulation of bat droppings. And, airborne pathogens release when the powdery guano breaks down. As the pile gets larger, it can affect the attic structure and insulation, not to mention making you sick.
Additional Bat Infestation Issues
If those diseases weren’t enough to scare you, there are other bat-related issues to consider.
A Bat Dying in Your Walls
If you smell a stench coming from your walls, it could be a trapped bat that has died inside your home’s walls. The smell a dead animal emits is awful and a professional disinfectant and odor removal spray is the only way to completely remove it. Contact a wildlife removal expert to assist you if you suspect a bat infestation in your home.
Can You Kill a Bat in Your Home?
In Florida, bats are endangered species and are protected under wildlife laws. It is illegal to kill bats in Florida willfully. On the positive side, they do help control insect overpopulation by eating tons of them at night. Furthermore, they help with seed dispersion and pollination. The planet does not want to be totally without bats, just not in your home.
What Does Bat Removal and Prevention Look Like?
Legally the only way to effectively remove an entire bat colony is through thorough prevention measures and a one-way door system. Wildlife removal experts seal up every possible entry point and place a one-way door on the main entry and exit point. This way, the bats can crawl through the exit, but will not fly back in once they attempt to return. Many bats will leave during the first night. However, it typically takes up to six weeks for the entire colony to fly away.
About World Class Wildlife Removal
There is no need for homeowners to try to figure this one out. you have enough to do in the day. Let the experts come out and take care of the pesky bats for you.
The healthy, safe, organic, and ultra-effective rodent removal services of World Class Wildlife Removal are located in Clearwater. They also proudly serve the wildlife removal needs of Tampa, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Sarasota counties.