Bats are interesting creatures that live in attics, barns, caves, and other shelters. As a homeowner, you may wonder if bats that live in your attic poop in the same spot over time. Understanding bat feces patterns can help you locateHeavy droppings and plan your bat exclusion strategy.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: Bats tend to designate favorite locations as latrine areas where they poop and urinate repeatedly over long periods. However, individual bats may also poop while in flight.
So while you’re likely to find concentrated piles under bat roosting spots, droppings may also scattered across attic floors or porous insulation.
Where Do Bats Poop?
Bats poop in a few different places depending on where they are and what they are doing. Here’s a look at where bats tend to relieve themselves.
In Latrine Areas
Many species of bats prefer to poop in dedicated latrine areas. These are spots that they return to again and again when they need to go to the bathroom. Latrine areas are often located in attics, barns, caves, hollow trees, and other secluded spots where bats like to roost.
These areas can become large piles of guano over time.
Bats find latrine areas appealing for a few reasons:
- The areas are secluded and protected, giving the bats a sense of safety.
- Using the same spot helps keep the guano consolidated, rather than scattered all over their roosting area.
- Some species may use the scent of their guano to help identify their own colony’s roosting area.
In caves, the bat guano in latrine areas can pile up many feet deep over decades or centuries of use. The large mounds of fertilizer are actually valuable resources, historically mined for use in gunpowder and fertilizer. Bat poop is still collected from some caves for agricultural use today.
In Flight
Bats also frequently poop while in flight. Many species of bats seem to deliberately wait until they leave the roost to relieve themselves. Allowing the poop to drop away from their roosting area helps keep the living space clean.
In flight pooping serves other purposes as well:
- Lightens the bat’s load for easier flying.
- Marks foraging areas and feeding grounds.
- Scatters seeds or remnants of prey to enrich ecosystems.
The poop that drops while bats are out feeding is often found along well-traveled flight paths out from a roosting area or concentrated under fruit trees and around water sources where bats like to feed.
This aerial fertilizer enriches soil throughout environments where bats are present in large numbers. Guano scattered from bat poop in flight plays an important ecological role, especially in caves and rainforests.
While bats make an effort to poop away from home, not all droppings end up in latrines or scattered beneath nightly flight paths. Some poop inevitably winds up in their roosts, which requires occasional cleanup.
What Does Bat Poop Look Like?
Size and Shape
Bat droppings, also known as guano, are typically small, pellet-like pieces that are about 0.25 inches in length. The size can vary slightly depending on the species of bat. For example, a large fruit bat’s poop may be closer to 0.5 inches long. The shape is generally oblong or oval rather than round.
Color
The color of bat feces ranges from black or dark brown to reddish brown. The shade can depend on what the bat has been eating. An insect-eating bat’s poop tends to be dark from all the exoskeleton pieces in the insects. A fruit-eating bat’s guano appears more reddish brown.
The color also darkens as guano ages and weathers.
Texture
Bat poop is dry and crumbly with a rough texture. Older guano often appears powdery as it starts to break down. The texture comes from the undigested insect parts (such as wings, legs and exoskeleton pieces) which comprise a large portion of the feces.
Smell
The odor of bat droppings can be quite pungent and unpleasant. It often smells musky or ammonia-like. The intensity of smell depends on how much guano is present, how old it is, and environmental conditions.
A pile of droppings accumulated over time in an attic space can produce an extremely strong, nose-curling stench.
Health Risks of Bat Droppings
Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection caused by breathing in spores of the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, which often grows in bat guano and soil enriched with it. The spores become airborne when the guano is disturbed. Initial symptoms are flu-like, with fever, chest pain, cough, and fatigue.
Most cases are mild, but the infection can become severe if the spores spread to other organs. According to the CDC, there are around 25,000 cases per year in the U.S.
Rabies
Although rare, people can get rabies from bats if bitten or if bat saliva gets into an open wound or mucous membrane. Only about 0.5% of bats carry the rabies virus, but rabies has a near 100% fatality rate in humans if untreated.
Rabies causes neurological symptoms like aggression, confusion, paralysis, fear of water, and death. Post-exposure treatment is highly effective if administered promptly after a bat encounter.
Parasites
Bat guano can harbor parasites like Cryptosporidium and Giardia that cause gastrointestinal illness if accidentally ingested. Cryptosporidiosis causes watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal cramps. Giardiasis leads to greasy stool, gas, bloating, dehydration, and weight loss.
Thankfully these parasitic infections are readily treated with common antibiotics if diagnosed early.
Bacterial Infections
Bat droppings may contain bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Bartonella that can infect people exposed to guano dust. Bartonella causes Bartonellosis, with symptoms like fever, headaches, joint pain, memory loss, and skin lesions.
Without treatment, some Bartonella species can cause life-threatening blood-borne infections. Always wear protective gear when handling or cleaning up bat guano.
Removing Bat Poop Safely
Respirator masks
When dealing with large accumulations of bat guano, it’s crucial to protect yourself from airborne particles and noxious ammonia fumes. Wearing a respirator mask rated N-95 or higher is strongly recommended.
These masks are designed to filter out 95% of particles 0.3 microns in size, effectively blocking most airborne guano dust. Make sure the respirator forms a tight seal on your face and check the filters periodically if working for an extended time.
Your health is nothing to sniff at when handling bat droppings!
Protective clothing
It’s not a fashion statement – coveralls, gloves, and boots are necessary attire when removing bat poop. Guinea can contain viruses, bacteria, fungal spores, and parasites. Covering your skin and clothing prevents direct contact with guano. Use disposable gloves and throw them away after use.
Wash your hands and any exposed skin thoroughly with antibacterial soap and hot water when finished. This will remove any lingering guano that could otherwise be accidentally ingested or infect open cuts. Staying clean is the name of the game when dealing with the aftermath of bat outhouses!
HEPA vacuuming
A high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter vacuum is great for safely containing and removing powdery dry guano. Standard household vacuums simply spew guano particles into the air as you go. HEPA vacuums trap 99.97% of particles larger than 0.3 microns, belching out only clean air.
This keeps the guano mess under control. Be sure to dispose of the vacuum contents right away in a sealed bag. When it comes to sucking up bat droppings, HEPA vacuums blow away the competition!
Disinfectants
After removing the bulk of the guano, it’s vital to kill any leftover germs. A disinfectant registered by the EPA as effective against pathogenic viruses and bacteria should be used. Look for active ingredients like chlorine bleach, quaternary ammonium compounds, or hydrogen peroxide.
Thoroughly wash down affected areas according to product guidelines. Long-handled mops and brushes are useful for cleaning high and hard to reach spots. Killing lingering nasties ensures no lingering health hazard remains once the guano is gone.
Disinfection knocks out any leftover germs from the bat latrines!
Guano removal services
Large, challenging accumulations of bat poop may warrant calling in professional guano removal services. Experienced bat waste extraction technicians have specialized equipment, heavy duty personal protective gear, and extensive knowledge of guano remediation techniques.
They can remove amazing quantities of guano quickly, efficiently, and safely. Technicians use vacuum trucks, long reach tools, and high pressure washing to eliminate bat scat from even the most inaccessible crevices.
Why risk your health and spend endless hours on an unpleasant project when the professionals can handle it for you? Let the bat poop experts deploy their arsenal of guano eradication weaponry!
Excluding Bats and Preventing Re-Roosting
One-way exclusion devices
Installing one-way exclusion devices is one of the most effective ways to remove bats from an attic or other roosting spot while preventing their return. These devices allow bats to exit the roost but not re-enter. Popular options include valve-style exclude
rs made of plastic, polypro mesh, or other durable materials. Valves should have gaps no larger than 1/2 inch to allow bats out without allowing them back in or facilitating entry by other wildlife.
Exclusion devices should be installed at all potential entry points. For attics, focus on eaves, vents, openings around chimneys, gaps around flashing, and gable vents. Ensure the devices are securely installed with screws or caulk. Apply them in the evening after bats have left the roost to feed.
Devices should remain in place for 5-7 days to ensure all bats leave before sealing off the roost permanently.
Deterrents
Various deterrents make roosting spots less attractive to bats. Options include:
- Lighting – Installing bright lights pointed at roosting spots will deter bats.
- Ultrasonic devices – High-frequency sound emitters that annoy bats may convince them to leave.
- Predator debris – Placing shed snakeskin or hair clippings from cats and dogs can create the illusion of predator presence.
- Ammonia-soaked rags – The strong odor of ammonia repels bats.
While these techniques may encourage bats to seek other roosting locations, exclusion devices should still be installed to prevent bats from re-entering. Deterrents alone will not permanently solve the problem.
Attic maintenance
Even after successful bat exclusion, certain attic maintenance practices are key to preventing new colonies from roosting:
- Seal gaps – Caulk and seal any remaining gaps greater than 1/4 inch around roof edges, vents, chimneys, and gable ends.
- Install screens – Cover vents and openings with corrosion-resistant #1/4-inch mesh screens to allow airflow while excluding bats.
- Remove clutter – Bats seek out dark, secluded harborages to roost in. Eliminate clutter to reduce attractive spots.
- Add lighting – Install motion-activated lighting, leave attic lights on at night, or place lights pointing toward rafters and roof peaks.
- Clean regularly – Guano and bat odors can attract new bats. Clean thoroughly.
Taking appropriate exclusion and maintenance steps will humanely remove bats and prevent costly recurring issues with bats roosting in attics or other areas of the home.
Conclusion
Bats designate favorite latrine spots to poop and urinate repeatedly over time. However droppings may also be scattered from bats pooping while in flight. Bat feces pose health risks from histoplasmosis fungus.
Protect yourself by using respirator masks, protective clothing and HEPA vacuums when cleaning. Stop bats from re-entering attics by installing one-way exclusion devices after bats have exited.