Pest Guide · Lake of the Ozarks
Bats: how they live, why they invade & how to get rid of them
A bat or two in the attic of a Lake house isn't unusual - they're drawn to warm, quiet roosts near water and insects. Bats are actually beneficial outdoors (they eat mosquitoes), but a colony in your attic means guano, odor, and a rabies risk if anyone handles one. This is a job for careful, legal exclusion.
How bats live
Bats squeeze through remarkably small gaps - around the roofline, chimney, gable vents, and fascia - to roost in warm attics, often as a maternity colony in summer. They leave at dusk to feed and return before dawn. Because young bats can't fly for weeks, timing an exclusion wrong can trap them inside.
Why they come into your home
Warm, undisturbed attic space near the water and its insects is ideal, and small unsealed gaps at the roofline give them the entry. Lakefront homes with lots of nearby insect activity are especially attractive.
Signs of a bats problem
- Bats seen leaving the roofline or attic at dusk
- Piles of dark droppings (guano) below an entry point
- Scratching or squeaking in the attic at night
- A persistent ammonia-like odor near the roost
How to get rid of bats
Bats are protected, and maternity season restricts when work can be done - so this is not a DIY or a trap-and-remove job. Proper exclusion means installing one-way devices that let bats out but not back in, then sealing every gap, all timed around their cycle, followed by cleanup of the guano. Never handle a bat directly.
How to keep them out
- Seal gaps at the roofline, fascia, gable vents, and chimney
- Cap the chimney and screen vents
- Have exclusion done at the right time of year
- Never handle a bat directly - call a professional
- Address entry points before maternity season
Dealing with bats at the Lake? All American has treated them since 1971 - local, licensed, and using no-odor products that are safe around kids and pets. We'll identify what you have and put together a plan that actually solves it.
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