Columbia's Best Bat Removal

Is It Against the Law to Kill a Bat?

It is illegal to kill a bat. There is no safe poison, kill trap, or weapon that makes it legal. The US has federal laws protecting bats for their impact on the ecosystem and contribution to the environment. Bats are generally misunderstood creatures, although there are many scientific studies being conducted to reduce the mystery shrouding these flying mammals.

How Bats Impact the World

Bats are invaluable to the ecosystem of any areas they roost in. In the US, they help control the insect population and eat several thousand pest-species of insects that can impact the crops produced by farmers and others that can impact the health of livestock.

In tropical regions where fruit bats are prevalent, they pollinate the flowers. Pollen gets stuck on their fur and faces while they drink nectar and by moving from flower to flower the pollen transfers onto the other flowers.

No matter the species of bat, their droppings are rich in nutrients and act as a fertilizer for all manner of plants and trees. This can be a draw for their insect food source as well.

Relatively Harmless

Although bats can carry any number of minor infections and diseases, they are relatively harmless toward humans. They do not have any venom. With such small teeth, they are not able to do much damage. Their nature makes them timid, and they would rather escape than interact with something they view as dangerous. Even the way they flap their wings around humans is only a method of attempting to scare us off instead of attacking us. Healthy bats will always choose to escape rather than confront a potentially deadly situation. They are rather vulnerable.

Abnormal and Sick Bats

Sick bats, however, will react abnormally. If handled at all, a sick bat is far more likely to bite or attack without apparent cause. It is important to note that bats can carry the deadly virus rabies and have the potential to transfer it to humans. This is rarer than dying from leprosy or the plague, but there are a handful of cases of bat rabies infecting humans.

If you are suspicious of a bat that has shown abnormal behaviors and think it may have rabies, do not approach it yourself. Call an expert to determine how best to handle the situation. If you absolutely must interact with it, protect yourself with thick gloves and cover any exposed skin. Trap the bat in a container with air holes and reach out to a professional to handle it from there.

A Protected Species

Bats are protected by federal law. Habitats are also protected. Some states and counties add additional regulations regarding bats and their habitats. Be sure to check in with your local wildlife department to ensure you are following proper procedures. No one wants to get in any sort of legal trouble while trying to deal with these flying mammals.

Bats' Vulnerability

One of the problems is how vulnerable bats really are. If they wake up too early from hibernation or are disturbed and then wake up, they can starve or freeze to death.

One of the biggest issues currently that is harming the bat population in the northern states is white-nose syndrome. This is a type of fungus that grows on bat noses, wings, and other body parts. It is relatively harmless for humans. The fungus causes the bats to wake up sooner than they would have otherwise during torpor. Once awake from their low-energy state, they burn through more energy than they have fat stores to support. This will result in the need to hunt. In wintertime, their food sources are either dead or hibernating for the season as well. It means these bats starve or freeze to death.

Death at Home

Bats are fickle things sometimes and very stubborn the next. If you happen to seal up your home before checking there are any bats inside, you could cause death. That can bring on its own set of problems that can be worse than having living bats roosting in your home. The odor could attract scavengers into your home or damage the structure of it. Wood deteriorates with the natural bacteria of dead bodies of animals along with the guano and urine deposits from the roosting. Frequently, it is better to call a professional to see what you are dealing with.