Thread: There are bats

Hello, just so you know I'm new to this message board and also new to the home inspection field. I'm in the process of getting my license and already am getting calls from friend and relatives. Got this one today from my cousin. Bought a house and is moving in and discovered bats in the soffit. He described it as a 3-4 inch gap under the eve of his 2 story home. There is no access to the attic. No mention of the gap in the HI report. What can he do. I think if the gap was as large as he said than it should of been in the report but as far as the bats there is no way the inspector could of known,less one flew out during the inspection. Should the gap of been in the report,and if so,should a warning of bats or some other pests making a home there also be in the report. Thanks for any help.

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A bat can get through a hole the size of a pencil.
You are a home inspector. Would you have seen the gap?
Get someone to access the attic whatever it takes. Bat feces is a health concern and should be addressed.
Bat removal is best done by professionals. Google, ALL ABOUT BATS, for a friends site that will help you with your questions.

Be careful with the Bats. Many are protected and the fines are pretty stiff if you get caught disturbing them. Yes, I know it is your house but that does not matter.

Most likely they will leave in the winter then you can seal up the area so they can't get back in.

Thanks for the info. My cousin said that he got an estimate of $1500 to get ride of the bats. I'm going to take a ride over there and look for myself. My cousin now says that the attic is the second floor with dormers. Also that 3-4 inch gap he talked about might be a lot smaller than that.

Hey david you have BATS because auh you just have BATS. Is what what it is. I don't think its that Inspectors problem...

Leave the Inspector alone.

bEst

rOn

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

Be careful with the Bats. Many are protected and the fines are pretty stiff if you get caught disturbing them. Yes, I know it is your house but that does not matter.

Most likely they will leave in the winter then you can seal up the area so they can't get back in.

Disturbing them? or Killing them?

Originally Posted by Rick Maday

Disturbing them? or Killing them?

Both, if they are a protected species.

Our neighbor had a little family of bats in their covered front porch. It was called something like an Eastern Gray Cave Bat and listed as a protected species. They had to wait till fall and then the bat's left to hibernate in some cave. Then they sealed up the little their little access spot.

Its called Home Maintenance. Do not blame the Inspector.

I would imagine bats in the house would be cause to remove them (by a professional). I don't know if this would be considered "disturbing" them but it would be much more disturbing if a child (or anyone for that matter) was bitten. IMO

More info Bats and Rabies | Rabies

Here's some other information.

rick

How To Get Rid of Bats

I can tell you that if my Wife saw a bat at our place. She would start shooting off the siding of the house to get to them.
This is one chick that hates BATS.

protected species my $&%$

12Gage. Done deal.

Best

Ron

Originally Posted by David O'Keefe

as far as the bats there is no way the inspector could of known,less one flew out during the inspection.

It's common to find staining from the bat feces on the siding near the entrance.

What you do is seal up every opening on the home. Then you attach a 2 inch PVC pipe into a 2" opening into the attic whith a 45 degree turn and a 2 foot extension straight dowm. The bats can get out but they cannot get back in and hopefully go to live a the Brokers house down the street. Snakes and Bats get along don't they?

About a year ago I sent some guys to work in and older lady's crawl space. They called all frantic because when they moved some insulation, bats came out at them. Checking into getting rid of them, I got quite an education. It seems they are protected and a special license is required for their removal, as well as needing a permit for each instance of relocation. Note I said relocation, you cannot harm them. At least in Illinois that's the case. The other option the conservation department gave me was to wait for them to leave on their own, then seal their way in.

Bats are great. They eat mosquitoes, moths and other pesky insects. Incredibly beneficial. Open up the soffit so it provides little to no protection and they will leave. Install a bat house on the south wall of the house and wait for the little guys to come out and close up the opening.

Oh great!!!! AS if nasty crawl spaces crawling with huge spiders( yes, I am slightly arachnophobic) wasnt enough....now I have to worry about possibly running into bats when Im walking an attic.

Originally Posted by Brian Thomas

Oh great!!!! AS if nasty crawl spaces crawling with huge spiders( yes, I am slightly arachnophobic) wasnt enough....now I have to worry about possibly running into bats when Im walking an attic.

Keep telling yourself the spiders are just funny looking crickets.....

Originally Posted by Bob White

Keep telling yourself the spiders are just funny looking crickets.....

.
Helping a guy unload a truck moving up from Florida, Get to the dog house, got a few bugs on it ( Saturday in a hurry ) man those are some funny looking Cockroaches.

Small Scorpions about an inch long.

Originally Posted by Bob White

Keep telling yourself the spiders are just funny looking crickets.....

Im gonna have to do that. Crickets I can handle, spiders not so much.

Bottom line is Im just gonna have to deal with it if I wanna do well in this business.