Bats in Your House or Attic

Friday, June 25, 2010

There are over 900 kinds of bats, but one we see the most in United States is the big brown bat.

Bats are one of the most beneficial mammals in the world. They eat tons of insects each night and they are extremely important for the overall well-being of the ecosystem. Bat is the only true flying mammal.

Despite their "big brown" name, bats are quite small. They can often enter where the sides of a house meet the roof or chimney.

Unlike other rodents, bats do not physically harm your home. But their presence in the house is considered a health hazard. If they are present in a home long enough large amounts of guano or urine can build up. Histoplasmosis (also known as "Cave disease", "Darling's disease", or "Ohio valley disease") is commonly found in bird and mammal droppings here on the East Coast of US. Symptoms of this infection vary greatly, but the disease primarily affects the lungs and sometimes can be fatal in humans.

Like most of other wildlife, bats can carry rabies.

As long as the bat never touches anyone, there is no need to worry about transmitting any diseases. Otherwise, anyone that comes in direct, unprotected contact with bats should receive rabies post-exposure examination and treatment from a health-care provider.

The best way to get rid of bats is to exclude them. Bats that live in a house must still go out each night to hunt. If they can't get back into your house in the morning, they will have to go somewhere else to live. But in Maryland, this must not be done during spring because that's the time when babies are born and still unable to fly. Only a licensed professional will be able to accurately assess your bat situation. If you suspect you may have bats living in your house or attic, please call AtOnce Wildlife Control at 443-562-9509 for assistance.

Why Squirrels in Your House are Dangerous?

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The presence of squirrels in your attic can mean anything from small wire damage, to electrical surge or even fire. The government estimates that there are about 60,000 residential fires of "unknown cause" each year in the US. About 25% of the fires are attributed to squirrels, mice and roof rats chewing on the wiring. If you have rodents, such as squirrels, in your attic - you most likely have some wire damage.

Rodent comes from ORDER RODENTIA (from the Latin word rodere, "to gnaw"). The front teeth of an average squirrel grow about 6 inches in length each year. Because of it they constantly need to gnaw and chew to keep their teeth short enough to be able to eat. Otherwise their teeth would grow too long and they would starve.

Bottom line - Squirrels do an enormous amount of wire damage. The longer you have squirrels in your house - the more wire damage they will cause. Call AtOnce Wildlife Solutions at 443-562-9509 as soon as possible if you suspect that squirrels (or other rodents) moved into your attic.

Tip: It's is a myth that placing moth balls in the attic will help you get rid of the squirrels. Using Moth Balls in the attic is illegal in all 50 States because it is toxic to both humans and house pets. Most moth balls are made from naphthalene (EPA has classified naphthalene as a Group C, possible human carcinogen.) The gas emitted from moth balls is heavier than air and will seep from your attic into the living areas. Rodents like mice and squirrels will get used to the smell of moth balls, and will not be affected. Humans and pets, however, can suffer health conditions.

AtOnce Wildlife Solutions is Baltimore based Wildlife Trapping and Removal company. We specialize in animal control, trapping wild animals, nuisance removal and pest control. For more information about us, please visit www.baltimoreanimalcontrolservices.com.