Bats are probably one of the most feared animals in North America.  Bats have traditionally been feared and persecuted through out history.  In the movies bats are portrayed as being associated with evil.  Halloween is a time of when all the ghosts and witches come out and with them are associated bats.  The bat does not deserve the bad publicity that it somehow has been given. In fact, bats are very beneficial and we should protect them.  There are approximately 1000 species of bats worldwide. Of the 1000 worldwide, 45 species of bat are found in the United States. There are sixteen species of bats found in Alabama. 

     Bats are the only true flying mammals.  Their natural habitats in Alabama are trees or caves, however, they often find attics, chimneys and eaves to be ideal roosting sights.  Bats are insectivores.  A single bat may eat up to 3000 insects in one nights feeding.  They can often be seen feeding around lighted areas catching the insects that are drawn towards the lights. Bats are very beneficial to us and that is why at Alabama Wildlife Solutions we follow Bat Conservation International's guidelines on excluding bats from houses and buildings.  During the time period from June to July bats are raising their young and it is advisable not to exclude them from an area until the flightless young can fly.  The young bats should be capable of flying by the first week of August.  We do not trap bats. Trapping bats might look impressive, however bats in a trap may die from overcrowding. In addition, bats have good homing ability and are likely to return to their old home.  We use safe exclusionary devices that allow the bats to exit the residence but denies them re-entry.  Be cautious of so called "bat experts "that want to evict the bats too soon or say that they are going to catch the bats by hand and release them.  Evicting the bats too soon will likely cause several flightless young bats to die in your attic or walls and create an odor and insect problem.  Catching bats by hand is not a reliable way to evict a bat colony from a home.  Some companies that perform bat exclusion may use scare tactics such as over-exaggerating the threat of rabies.  Although Rabies is a concern with bats, the risk has been greatly over exaggerated.  More people die each year from being attacked by dogs than die from contracting rabies.  It should be noted though, that the strain of rabies virus that is most often contracted is the bat strain of the virus.


Bats are divided into two groups, colonial and solitary.  It is the colonial bats that are most associated with getting into attics and buildings.  The colonial bats that are primarily seen Alabama are the Little Brown bat, Big brown bat, and the Mexican free tailed bat. (continue)