How to make my home less attractive to bats in West Virginia | Bat

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How to make my home less attractive to bats

Making your home less attractive to bats can encourage existing bats to leave as well as discourage new bats from moving in. 

Making interior spaces less attractive to bats:

  • Bats prefer darkness.
    • Use 150-watt floodlights or a string of lights with 100-watt bulbs to illuminate your attic.
    • Add windows to your attic to brighten the space and make it less desirable.
  • Bats like warm, still places.
    • Create a breeze by opening a door or window.
    • Use fans to encourage air movement.
    • Add wall or roof vents to lower temperatures in an unheated attic.

Keeping bats from roosting behind shutters:

  • You can discourage this behavior by simply removing the shutters.
  • If you would like to keep your shutters, remove them from the wall, place a small wooden block under each corner and reattach them to the house. This keeps your shutter a few inches from the siding, allowing light to penetrate and making the area less attractive to bats.

Assistance in West Virginia

Contact the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources for a list of licensed Animal Damage Control agents in your area who can assist with animal removal, damage, damage prevention, and clean up.  Be aware that they charge for their services.  Your local Division of Natural Resources office can provide guidance regarding nuisance wildlife.  They can also provide you with a permit to remove or destroy certain animals, and advice on how to do so, if it is necessary or desirable for you to trap or shoot animals yourself.  Federally protected species require additional permits as noted if necessary.

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources district offices:    

District 1       Farmington              304 825-6787

District 2       Romney                   304 822-3551                                                                                                                           

District 3       French Creek          304 924-6211

District 4       Beckely                   304 256-6947

District 5       Alum Creek             304 756-1023

District 6       Parkersburg            304 420-4550

Op Center    Elkins                      304 637-0245

Trapped animals must be humanely dispatched.  They may not be relocated without prior approval from West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

Laws and regulations to be aware of

While we attempt to provide guidance about state and federal regulations pertaining to specific species and control techniques, we do not provide information about local jurisdictions (city, town, county, etc.) where regulations may be more restrictive, especially as it applies to discharge of firearms, transport of animals or use of trapping equipment. Contact your local city or county government to inquire further. No guarantee is made that information (or lack of information) associated with a species or control technique is completely accurate or current. You should become familiar with federal, state and local laws before beginning any wildlife control activities.

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