How do I know if I have bats in my attic?

The clearest way to know you have bats in the attic is to see them leave. On a summer evening, watch the outside of the house until about half an hour after sunset,^[1] and look for bats dropping out of a gap at the roof edge, a gable vent or the trim. Noises, smells, stains and droppings are the other clues, and a bat found inside the house more than once is a strong hint that a colony lives somewhere in the building.

Watch the house at dusk

Bats leave the roost at dusk to feed, which is when the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) suggests looking for them. Montana State University Extension's guide to the same question adds detail: pick a clear night with low wind,^[2] stand far enough away to see the house silhouetted against the light-blue sky,^[2] and, if you can, put a family member on each side of the house. Note where the first bat appears and check the same spot the next evening, because bats may have two or more exits from a house.^[2]

A steady stream from one point usually means a roost; a single bat flying past may just be feeding in the yard. Write down every exit you see; the wildlife operator will want them.

Signs from inside the house

Extension guidance lists the signs that suggest bats are living in a home:^[2]

• Sounds. high-pitched clicks^[2] or scratching noises around walls or ceilings.^[2]
• Smell. a persistent but unusual odor^[2] near a ceiling, a closet under the roof or an outside wall.
• Droppings. droppings that turn up in the same location over time,^[2] for example on a windowsill, a porch floor or the ground below a gap.
• Bats indoors. finding a bat in the living space on two different occasions during the summer, or once during the winter.^[2]

None of these alone proves bats. Mice and squirrels scratch too, and a single bat can blunder in through an open door. Several signs together, or a dusk watch, settle it. If you hear daytime running or chewing instead, read what animal is living in the attic.

Signs on the outside of the house

Openings bats use often show dark staining.^[2] With binoculars from the ground, look for staining at the places bats get in. The extension guide's list is under roof overhangs where wood may be warped, shrunk or rotted; around loose or unscreened vents; under loose flashing; at louvers, eaves or cornices; under loose roofing or siding; around windows; around chimney pipes; and where wiring and water pipes enter the building.^[2] Any joint or seam that has opened up can be enough.

Why the attic is best left to a pro

It is tempting to go up and look. If there is a colony, the attic floor may be covered in droppings, and DWR warns that bat droppings can harbor histoplasmosis spores and should be cleaned up by a professional.^[1] The Virginia Department of Health names people with weakened immune systems, infants, and people aged 55 years and older^[4] as more likely to become seriously ill. The department's advice is direct: "People should avoid areas with accumulations of bird or bat droppings, especially if they have weakened immune systems."^[4]

Montana State University Extension's guide warns that going into the attic can disturb droppings,^[2] and the protective gear it describes includes a respirator, with the condition: "Be healthy enough to wear a respirator and have training in its proper use."^[2] Unless that describes you, leave the attic to the wildlife operator. The guide also warns that bats may be in the walls, and thus not visible,^[2] so an attic that looks empty is not proof.

A wildlife operator's inspection covers the attic and the exterior, often with an evening watch, and ends with a list of entry points and a quote.

Which bats live in Virginia houses

The big brown bat, evening bat, little brown bat and Brazilian free-tailed bat are the four Virginia species most likely to live in a building.^[1] The little brown bat is state endangered,^[1] which is one reason the removal has to follow Virginia's rules: see whether it is legal to remove bats from your house.

If a bat is in the living space

Most bats are healthy. DWR says less than half of 1% of bats carry rabies,^[1] but a bat indoors still needs care. DWR's permit conditions say being in the same room with a bat and not being able to rule out exposure, as with an infant, a small child or a sleeping adult, counts as a potential exposure.^[5] If that applies, the Virginia Department of Health's guidance is to contain the bat and contact the local health department or animal control, which may include testing the bat for rabies.^[3]

When to call a licensed pro

Call a permitted wildlife control operator once a dusk watch or the signs above point to bats. DWR runs a trapper finder tool that lists licensed trappers and Commercial Nuisance Animal Permit holders^[6] by county. Ask for the company's permit and its bat training certificate. Expect the exclusion itself to wait if you call in summer: DWR's permit conditions set the bat maternity season as May 1 to August 15, inclusive,^[5] when flightless young are in the roost.

If gaps need carpentry or vent repairs as part of the job, Virginia's contractor law may apply: Class C contractors are those whose single contract or project is over $1,000 but less than $30,000.^[7] Check a contractor's licence before you sign. For what comes next, read how bats are removed from a house and what bat removal costs in Virginia.

Loclis lists businesses for bird and bat exclusion and pest control in Blacksburg, and all pest control answers are in one place.

Describe what you are seeing once and local businesses quote the inspection.