5 Helpful Tips to Keep Bats Out of Your New York State Home

Have you ever been sitting, watching TV or working on a project at your house when something flies by your head? You stop and process it for a moment then you look up to realize it is a bat?

What can you do to help prevent these little guys getting into your home? There are plenty of reasons to keep them out of your house, one being I don't think they will pay you rent, another being that they are one of the foremost carriers of rabies in New York State.

What can you do to help keep bats out of your home at anytime of the year?

The first and foremost thing that you should be doing to protect your home from all small and furry intruders is to be vigilant. You need to be looking for and then sealing any small gaps in the foundation or in the siding. Bats, like mice can make it into your home by gaining access through a small entry point, less than 1/2 inch. Plugging up those potential points with steel wool or caulk, or other measures will go a long way. 

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READ MORE: Signs You Might've Been Exposed to Rabies

What other tips can you share to help others keep their home free of bats?

• Take a moment when you go to close your windows, to make sure that they are really closed. Check the top part of the window, is it closed too? Don't just close the window and walk away, look for the gaps, and seal them up.
• Close doors, screens and windows when you are not home, this includes the garage doors. Garages make nice hiding spots for mice and bats.  Also, look at your screens, is there a hole in them? If so replace the entire screen or get a patch kit.
• Check your chimney. Does your flue or damper close? Do you know how to operate it?
• If you have a clothes dryer, double check to make sure that the venting is secured and not full of lint.

Have any other tips you would like to share with us? Let us know, your suggestions are much appreciated.