How to Get Rid of Bats in Your House and Keep Them Away

The best way to get rid of bats in your house depends on whether you’re dealing with one bat or a bat colony. If a single bat gets inside, close off the room, open a window or exterior door, and give it a clear way to leave. 

If bats are living in your attic, soffits, or another part of the house, simply removing them or sealing a hole won’t solve the problem.

A safer long-term approach is exclusion, which lets bats leave and prevents them from getting back inside.

In this guide, we’ll explain what to do when a bat gets indoors, how to remove a colony safely, and how to keep bats from returning.

One Bat in the House Right Now? Do This First

A single bat flying inside your home does not necessarily mean you have a colony. It may have entered through an open window, door, chimney, or small opening

You need to worry about rabies exposure if there is any chance the bat touched a person or pet, especially someone who was asleep or a young one.

Bat teeth are small enough that a bite can leave no visible mark, which is why health departments treat any sleeping or unattended person as a possible exposure by default, even if no one remembers contact.

Because bat bites can be small and go unnoticed, CDC recommends avoiding direct contact with bats. If a bat has come into contact with a person or pet, do not release it before speaking with a public health expert. Contact your local health department or animal control for guidance on safely containing the bat and whether to test it for rabies.

If there's any chance of contact:

• Confine the bat to one room by closing doors, but leave a window open.
• Do not release it. Wait for it to land, then cover it with a container using thick gloves, slide stiff cardboard underneath to trap it, and tape the cardboard in place.
• Keep the container cool, not frozen, and call your local health department or animal control to arrange rabies testing.
• If you or a pet had direct contact, seek medical guidance the same day rather than waiting to see if symptoms appear.

Why You Can't Just Trap, Poison, or Kill Bats in Texas

Homeowners assume bat control works like rodent control, but Texas has specific rules for bats. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department generally prohibits hunting, killing, possessing, buying, or selling bats, with a limited exception for bats inside or on buildings occupied by people.

Timing also matters. TPWD discourages excluding bats from buildings from May 1 through August 15 because young bats can't fly and could become trapped inside.

That makes poison, trapping, and rushed DIY removal poor choices. The safer long-term approach is exclusion. This method allows bats to leave and then seals the openings they were using.

How to Get Rid of Bats in Your House Permanently

Exclusion lets bats leave on their own and then keeps them from getting back inside. Nothing is trapped, poisoned, or handled.

Step 1: Find every entry point

Bats can get through surprisingly small openings, so inspect your attic, rooflines, soffits, gable vents, chimney areas, and places where utility lines enter the house.

Active entry points show staining from body oils around the edge and scattered droppings on the ground or siding below.

Watch the roofline at dusk for a few evenings, as this is when bats emerge to feed; this is the most reliable way to confirm which gaps are actually in use.

Step 2: Seal every opening except the active ones

Once you know where the bats are getting in, seal the other gaps first. Bats can look for another way inside, so sealing only one opening may simply move the problem to a different spot.

Step 3: Install one-way exclusion devices

Place a one-way bat exclusion device, also called a bat valve or exclusion tube, at each active entry point. It lets bats leave at night but prevents them from getting back inside. These devices can be made from mesh, plastic tubing, or plastic sheeting. 

They usually need to stay in place for several warm nights, giving all the bats enough time to leave since some may not come out every night.

Step 4: Make sure the bats are gone, then seal the openings

Once the exclusion period is over, watch the entry points around dusk again. Make sure no bats are still coming out before you permanently seal the openings. Use strong materials, such as galvanized hardware cloth or metal flashing, that bats and other wildlife cannot easily chew or push through.

Do not skip the one-way exclusion step and seal every opening at once. This can trap bats inside your walls or attic, where they may die and create bad odors.

It can also make the problem harder to fix. The goal is to let the bats leave safely first and then seal the house so they cannot get back in.

Do “Natural” Bat Repellents Actually Work?

If you're trying to get rid of bats in your house naturally, you may be tempted to try mothballs, ultrasonic devices, essential oils, bright lights, or loud music. Unfortunately, these popular remedies disturb bats temporarily, but they won't reliably remove them or prevent them from returning.

Mothballs: Mothballs are not a safe bat repellent. Using them to drive wildlife out of a building can be illegal, and the fumes can also harm people and pets. They should not be placed in an attic or other enclosed space to get rid of bats.

Ultrasonic devices: These products are often sold as an easy way to repel bats, but little evidence shows they provide a lasting solution. Even if bats avoid the sound for a while, they may return or move to another part of the house.

Essential oils, bright lights, and loud music: These may disturb bats temporarily, but they do not fix the reason bats got inside in the first place. Once the disturbance stops, bats may return if they still have access to the same opening.

For a natural way to get rid of bats, exclusion is a better option than repellents or poisons. It allows bats to leave the attic on their own before sealing the openings they used to enter.

Can You Exclude Bats Yourself or Should You Hire a Professional?

If you have one or two easy-to-reach entry points on a single-story home, you can do DIY exclusion. You can install a one-way bat exclusion device, monitor the opening, and seal it once you are sure the bats are gone.

‍

Hiring a bat control professional is the better choice when:

‍

• The home has a steep roof or multiple stories.
• You suspect several entry points or cannot find where the bats are getting in.
• You are dealing with a large or established colony.
• There is a significant amount of bat droppings to clean up.
• You are unsure whether it is the right time of year for exclusion.

‍

The main issue is not simply getting bats out. You need to address all entry points without trapping bats inside. If the job is straightforward and safely accessible, DIY can work. If the structure or colony is more complicated, professional exclusion can prevent a failed removal or a much bigger problem.

Need Help Getting Bats Out of Your House?

If bats keep coming back, you cannot find all the entry points, or the exclusion is more than you can safely handle, it’s time to bring in a professional. Trying one DIY method after another can leave the real entry point open and give bats another way into your home.

SkeeterCide can help identify how bats are getting into your home and determine the right approach to keep them out. Instead of simply removing the bats you can see, address the openings that allow them inside in the first place.

Ready to stop dealing with bats? Contact SkeeterCide today to discuss your bat control needs and get professional help with your home.

‍