How to keep bats out of a barn

Bats like to roost in areas where they can hang upside down. One of their favorite places to live is in a cave, not only because the location is secluded and cool, but also because the cave ceiling provides plenty of places for the bat to cling to while it hangs and rests. This is a big reason why it loves the location.



Natural locations are not the only places that they will select however. There are many manmade places that they would think would make perfect roosting locations. One of the most popular of these is a barn, and for obvious reasons. There are usually plenty of framing boards to hang from, and the size of a barn allows for large colonies to live there, or for a small colony to live virtually unnoticed. Plus barns usually have lots of insects which make a tasty meal for the bat.

Knowing this it is quite likely that you would not want a bat living in your barn. Besides being rather vile looking little creatures, they carry a lot of diseases, making them a danger to you and your livestock. This means you want to keep them out. To begin the process understands that bats are primarily born from May to September. This means you want to be really vigilant during these months because these are the likely times that they will be having babies and needing a place to do so. Your barn could be perfect.

Your next function is to find the access points where they are getting into your barn. Contrary to popular logic, the door to the barn is not usually how they get in. they like places that are up higher, so make sure that there is no crack or gap in the siding of your barn. Make sure that you seal any of these potential entryways so there is no gap. It does not take much room for a bat to sneak in.

Under the guise of “if you can’t beat them, join them,” one of the best things you can do to keep bats out of your barn is to give them an alternative place to roost. You can buy or make bat boxes that will make a much more palatable alternative for the bats and they will more than likely set up their home there. This will keep them out of your barn and keep your and your family safer. Make sure you setup the boxes as far away as logically possible.

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