NC homeowners encouraged to check now for bats, make repairs to keep them out
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Attention, home and property owners---now's the time to check your house for bats. Yes, bats!
The pup-rearing season begins on May 1 and lasts until July 31 in North Carolina. You should have any bats removed from your home before then and seal up gaps to keep them out.
Bats in your home may be unsettling, but it happens more often than you might think.
Some bats are protected species in North Carolina, which means you have to have them professionally removed and it's illegal to remove them during pupping season.
Additionally, removing them after they're born could kill the pups because they can't fly.
You should contact a licensed wildlife control agent to inspect your home and seal off any gaps that would allow bats to enter the main living area, attic, or crawl space before May 1.
If you don't get the bats out by May 1, you can still get a Wildlife Control Agent to check and make sure the additional bats cannot get into your house.
According to the NC Wildlife Resource Commission (WRC), bats return to the same roost each spring, so it's important to make permanent repairs that prevent them from entering the building in future years.
Seventeen species of bats call North Carolina home; three of them are considered endangered, according to WRC.
Bats are important mammals for the ecosystem, that's because experts say bats eat nearly their own body weight in insects every night, and even more while they're raising their young.
You can give bats an alternative roost by installing a bat box in a sunny area on your property.
