Get them out with one-way exits, seal the building, and do it at the right time of year. Texas Parks and Wildlife says bats may not be hunted, killed, possessed, bought or sold in Texas, with an exception for bats inside or on a building occupied by people. TPWD also discourages excluding bats from buildings from May 1 to August 15, when young bats cannot fly yet. Michael Gerbino of Cypress Critters & Pests never traps bats. He excludes them with one-way devices, outside that summer window. Call 713-775-8799.
How do you know it is bats and not something else?
Bats are quiet compared to raccoons or squirrels, so many homeowners find the signs before they hear anything. Here is what usually gives them away:
| What you notice | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Small dark droppings piled below a gap, on a ledge or on the attic floor | Bats roost above that spot. Look, but do not touch or sweep it. |
| Dark stains or greasy rub marks around a crack in the soffit, fascia or siding | That crack is a doorway the bats use every night. |
| Faint scratching or squeaking in a wall or the attic around dusk | Bats stirring before they leave to feed. |
| Small dark shapes leaving the roofline right after sunset | The clearest sign. Watching for a few evenings shows which gaps they use. |
| A bat inside the living space | The roost may be close to an opening into the house, such as a gap at the attic hatch or a can light. |
What does Texas law say about bats in a house?
Bats are protected in Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.101 says no person may hunt a bat, or sell, buy or possess one or any part of one, dead or alive. The same section says a bat may be removed if it is inside or on a building occupied by people.
In plain terms, you are not stuck living with bats in your attic, and you also may not treat them like pests to be killed. Michael’s approach is to let every bat leave on its own and then close the house behind them.
Why does the time of year matter so much?
Bats raise their young in late spring and summer. TPWD discourages excluding bats from buildings from May 1 to August 15, because young bats cannot fly yet and may be trapped inside. If the adults are sent out and the openings closed during those months, the young are left behind in the attic or the walls. They die there, and the house is left with a smell and a bigger clean-up.
So Michael does not do bat exclusion between May 1 and August 15. If you find bats in summer, he can still inspect the house, find the gaps and plan the work. The one-way devices go up after August 15, once the young can fly. In the meantime, keep the attic hatch closed and any gaps into the living space blocked, and keep pets and children out of the attic.
Found droppings or seen bats leaving the roofline? Call Michael at 713-775-8799 to set up an inspection.
Why can’t the bats just be trapped and taken away?
Bats are not trapped, ever. A colony can be large, they roost in gaps too tight to reach, and catching them one at a time leaves most of them behind. Even if every bat in the attic were removed, the cracks they used would still be open, and bats return to a roost they know. The fix is the same idea as with any other animal: get them out alive and seal the building so they cannot get back in. That process is animal exclusion, and with bats it is the only method Michael uses.
How Michael handles bats, step by step
- Inspect. Michael walks the whole roofline and attic and finds every gap the bats use, plus the ones they could use next.
- Seal the extras. Openings the bats are not using as their main exits get sealed first.
- Install one-way devices. At the exits they do use, he fits devices that let a bat crawl out at dusk and keep it from getting back in.
- Wait and check. The devices stay up until the bats are gone.
- Seal for good. The devices come down and those last openings are closed with materials suited to the gap.
- Clean up. Droppings and stained insulation are removed once the bats are out.
What if a bat gets into the living space?
Do not pick up a bat with bare hands, alive or dead. Keep people and pets out of the room and close the door. The Texas Department of State Health Services lists bats among the high-risk animals for rabies and advises people not to handle any wildlife, and it says that if you or a pet are bitten, wash the wound right away with soap and water and get medical help as soon as possible. Then call to have the house checked for the way the bat got in.
When to call
If you see signs of bats, the sooner the house is inspected, the sooner the work can be planned for the right time of year. The bat exclusion page covers the service in more detail, and homeowners in The Woodlands can read about animal exclusion in The Woodlands. Call or text Michael at 713-775-8799.
Questions people ask about bats in the attic
Can I seal up the holes while the bats are out at night?
That usually shuts bats inside, because not every bat leaves every night, and in summer the young cannot fly at all. Bats sealed in end up in the walls or find their way into the living space. One-way devices let every bat leave on its own, and the last openings are closed only after the bats are gone.
Is it legal to remove bats from my house in Texas?
Texas Parks and Wildlife says bats may not be hunted, killed, possessed, bought or sold, but the rule makes an exception for bats inside or on a building occupied by people. TPWD also discourages excluding bats from buildings from May 1 to August 15, when young bats cannot fly. Michael schedules bat exclusion outside that window.
What should I do if a bat is flying around my bedroom?
Stay calm and do not grab it with bare hands. Get people and pets out of the room and close the door. If anyone was bitten, the Texas Department of State Health Services says to wash the wound with soap and water and get medical help as soon as possible. Then have the house inspected to find how the bat got in.
Do I need bat droppings cleaned out after the bats leave?
Yes, once the bats are out and the house is sealed. Droppings pile up under the roost, stain insulation and wood, and hold a smell in the attic. Michael removes them as part of the clean-up after the exclusion. Leave the droppings alone until then, so the clean-up happens once, after the last bat is gone.
Sources
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, nongame and other species: tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/nongame-and-other-species
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Sec. 63.101 (bats): statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PW/htm/PW.63.htm
- Texas Department of State Health Services, wildlife and bite guidance: dshs.texas.gov
- 25 Texas Administrative Code Sec. 169.22 (high-risk animals): law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/25-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-169-22
