Bats Near the Home
Bats live in both cities and wooded areas, eating half of their weight in insects every night. When looking for places to roost, they choose protected spots like sheds, attics, and smokestacks.
How to Tell Bats Are in the Chimney
- Chirping or Squeaking Noises: Bats are vocal, especially at dusk and dawn. You may hear high-pitched squeaks or scratching sounds inside the chimney.
- Guano (Bat Droppings): Small, dark, shiny droppings at the base of the chimney or on the roof. Guano crumbles easily and may contain insect parts.
- Stains or Grease Marks: Oily fur leaves dark, greasy smudges around chimney openings.
- Ammonia-like Odor: Strong, musty smell from guano and urine buildup.
- Sightings of Bats: Seeing bats enter or exit the chimney at dusk or dawn indicates roosting inside.
- Unusual Drafts or Airflow: Changes in airflow or odd drafts in the fireplace may mean bats are blocking the chimney.
Why Do Bats Roost in Chimneys?
Chimneys provide easy access for bats to hibernate and reproduce. Maternity colonies can be especially persistent, as bats have strong homing instincts and return to the same roost each year. Bats can live for over six years, and females give birth to pups every season.
Issues with Bats in Chimneys
Bat droppings (guano) and urine build up wherever they roost. Accumulations can cause musty odors and contaminated runoff during rainstorms. They also leave dark, oily stains similar to rodents.
Living near humans poses health risks. Bats can transmit rabies through bites, even after death. Airborne spores in guano may also cause histoplasmosis, a serious respiratory disease.
How to Get Bats Out of a Chimney
If bats are in your chimney, keep the flue shut! Exclusion is the most humane and effective control method.
- Exclusion Tubes/One-way Doors: Allow bats to exit but not re-enter.
- Mesh Screens: Wire mesh over the chimney prevents entry (avoid trapping bats inside).
- Chimney Caps: Work like mesh screens to keep bats out.
Important: Exclusion should not be done if baby bats are present. In summer, pups cannot fly and may die if trapped.
How NOT to Get Rid of Bats in Chimneys
- No Trapping or Extermination: Bats are federally protected and ecologically important.
- No “Smoking Out” Infestations: Lighting fires to drive bats away is cruel and dangerous. Bat pups cannot escape flames.
What to Do if You Have Bats
Consider installing a bat house to encourage relocation. However, setting up exclusion devices or accessing chimneys often requires professional skills and safety equipment. For safe removal, contact Wildlife Management Services.
Bats in Chimney Removal
Bat exclusion remains the most effective and ethical way to remove bats. Exclusion tubes/doors allow bats to leave but not return. The process usually takes at least a week. Once no further activity is observed, the door is removed and the final entry sealed.
After removal, our experts may recommend cleaning and disinfecting contaminated areas. Wildlife Management Services can handle this as part of a full service plan. Local climate affects when removal is possible—hibernation in colder regions and maternity season in summer can restrict exclusion timing.
Wildlife Management of Minneapolis Service Area
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Maple Grove, Champlin, Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids, Apple Valley, Eagan, St. Louis Park, Stillwater, Woodbury, Mound, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, White Bear Lake, Plymouth, Wayzata, Burnsville, and Their Surrounding Areas
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