Bats and Blood

Vampires and bats have been long associated with one another. They are portrayed in many films and the single characteristic that these bats usually inflict on humans is fear. They are hyped to suck on human blood and this is what makes us loathe them.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Bats are second largest in terms of mammal population next to rodents, and they can be found in every single corner of the planet except Antarctica. There are more than 1,000 species of bats and out of this number, there are only three bats that are known to consume blood as part of their diet. This trait is called hematophagy.

The three species of vampire bats are Desmodus rotundus, Diphylla ecaudata and Diaemus youngi. They are known to strike any warm-blooded animal (and yes, including humans) at night.

However, these vampire bats do not usually inhabit Canada. They are found mostly in Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Brazil. The ones that lurk the nights here in Mississauga are little brown bats and big brown bats.

Little brown and big brown bats are insectivores; so more than fearing these little flying critters, they actually help us remove millions of insects that can cause damage to our crops. However, this is not to say that we keep these bats as pets. In a domestic household, bats can still pose a health risk to you and  your children.

Little brown and big brown bats roosting in your property is still a problem. They carry diseases and infections that can be passed on to humans such as histoplasmosis and rabies. Histoplasmosis is an infection that you can acquire from bat and bird droppings resulting to some respiratory problems.  Rabies, on the other hand, can be acquired when you have been bitten by infected bats and can be fatal if left untreated.

It is best to assume that any wild animal inside your home needs to be removed for safety and health purposes. In this case, it is best to employ bat exclusion methods to keep them in the wild where they belong.

Bat exclusion is the process of sealing off your house from bat invaders to prevent them from roosting in your attic or any dark places of your house. Many homeowners do not have the experience in searching for bat entries so doing it yourself may not be a wise idea.

When you face a bat infestation in your household, it is best to call humane wildlife control services like Skedaddle Mississauga. Skedaddle Wildlife Technicians are trained to remove these flying critters humanely and do exclusion works to keep these bats from coming back.

The process of exclusion will not only keep these bats away from your home. It will also prevent other nuisance wildlife that may see your property as their alternative habitat from accessing your home. Exclusion is the most proactive and humane wildlife control solution because you prevent wildlife infestation before it even happens.