How to use one-way exclusion funnels to remove bats without trapping them

The Problems with Bats

Bats are the only mammal that flies, making them unique. Most of these animals are also insectivores, meaning they eat all the nasty insects and bugs bothering you and ruining crops. So in many ways, these animals are helpful to society.

Yet it's difficult to keep these facts in mind when a bat ends up in your home. These animals cause a lot of problems, and they pose a serious threat to you and your family's health.

These animals spread deadly diseases like rabies, which causes paralysis and death. They also spread histoplasmosis, a deadly fungus that leads to lung issues.

Bats can also damage your home. Their guano is corrosive, so it does a lot of damage to your floors and walls, leaving behind nasty stains. If there are a lot of bats in your home, the sheer amount of guano can also cause a lot of structural damage to the building.

Possible Bat Removal Techniques

Because of all the problems bats cause, you'll want to quickly get rid of them. Unfortunately, things aren't that simple.

Bats are endangered animals, so most removal techniques are illegal or require a special permit. That removes the ability to poison or trap the bat, so what else can you do?

Exclusion Funnels

Exclusion funnels are a great way of removing bats. It takes away all the difficulty of the task and makes everything straightforward.

The idea is to place a funnel that a bat can leave through, but that is too small on the other end so the bat can't get back in. This means the bat will go out hunting at night, but won't be able to come back inside your home in the day.

Over time, the bat population in your home will dwindle. All without you doing much work, putting yourself at risk of rabies, or using unethical means of removal.

Steps of Bat Removal with an Exclusion Funnel

Step 1: Inspect the Property

Bats have to get inside your home somehow, so you should inspect your home to figure out how. You should go around your home and look at every nook and cranny until you find all the holes and gaps used by bats.

This step is crucial, as missing a hole early on could ruin all your effort down the line as the bats can just find another way into your home.

During this stage, you should also make note of the bats bothering you. If you see any baby bats amongst them, you should wait and try to remove them later. Otherwise, you'd trap the child without their parent, which causes a lot of problems.

Step 2: Seal All Holes

Now that you've found all the holes, you should work to seal them up. Use whatever material fits your needs.

The important part is to leave one hole open, as it's needed for the funnel. This hole should be commonly used by the bats, which is often indicated by grease near the hole.

Step 3: Install the Funnel

The installation instructions depend on the specific funnel you purchase, but you should ensure the larger side of the funnel points indoors and the smaller side points outdoors. This way bats can leave but can't come back inside.

Step 4: Wait for the Bats

With the funnel installed, you only have to wait. It might take a few days, but the bats will eventually leave on their own.

You can try to speed up the process by adding repellents to your home, like loud music or bright flashes that will scare the bats and force them to leave.

Step 5: Clean the Area

Once the bats are gone, you should remove the exclusion funnel and seal the final hole.

You should then put on a mask and gloves to start cleaning the bat-infested area. These will protect you from the diseases left behind by bats.

You should start by vacuuming and removing all the bat droppings, then disinfect the entire area to kill any remaining diseases.