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NC Wildlife: Check your home and prepare for bat season now

People are encouraged to check their homes for bats before May arrives, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

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Bats
By
Jessica Patrick
, WRAL multiplatform producer

People are encouraged to check their homes for bats before May arrives, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Pup-rearing season for bats begins on May 1, officials said, and it's important to make sure you don't have bats living in shutters or other external areas of the home before that date. If bats are not removed before rearing season, it's best to leave them alone until the end of July.

“Young bats are flightless for three to four weeks after birth and depend on their mother for survival during that time. If a homeowner waits until May to install an eviction device on the opening that the bats have used to get to their roost, female bats will not be able to get to their young, leaving the pups to starve to death or try to find other ways to escape, including entering the homeowner’s living space,” stated Katherine Etchison, wildlife diversity biologist with the Wildlife Commission.

Check your home for bats

Bat feces, known as guano, is the best way to check for bats. Guano is usually found in gable vents, behind shutters or in other nooks inside and outside the home.

If you suspect bats are living inside or outside your home, contact a licensed Wildlife Control Agent, who can safely evict them, officials said.

According to N.C. Wildlife, bats are valuable because they provide pest control, "nearly devouring their own body weight in insects nightly." Their appetite increases in May, June and July, when bugs are prevalent in North Carolina.

Now that winter has ended, you may see more bats, according to officials.

If a bat does enters your home, it's important to ensure no human exposure has occurred. If a human was exposed to a bat, contact your county health department to get the animal tested for rabies.

If you have questions about bats, contact the N.C. Wildlife Helpline Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 866-318-2401 or email HWI@ncwildlife.org.

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