Omaha Bat Removal & Humane Bat Exclusion
If bats are entering an Omaha home, apartment building, school, warehouse, office or other structure, the permanent solution is not simply removing the bats that can be seen. The building must be inspected to determine where bats are entering, active roosts must be addressed with humane exclusion, and openings that allow future entry must be properly sealed.
United Bat Control has specialized in professional bat removal and exclusion since 1998. We provide bat-control services for residential, commercial and institutional properties in Omaha and throughout the United States. Our focus is humane exclusion: allowing bats to leave a structure while preventing them from returning.
For help with a bat problem in Omaha, call 866-747-2287.
Watch Our Omaha Bat Removal Video
Bat exclusion is different from ordinary pest control. Watch United Bat Control explain the professional approach to removing bats from buildings and preventing re-entry.
Why Bats Enter Homes and Buildings in Omaha
Bats do not need a large opening to enter a building. Gaps along rooflines, eaves, soffits, fascia, vents, flashing, chimneys, siding and construction joints can provide access to attics, wall voids and other protected areas.
Nebraska Extension reports that bats living in urban areas frequently use structures such as attics, areas behind shutters, building crevices and bridge seams. Once a suitable roost has been established, simply removing a visible bat does not address the openings being used by the colony.
This is why professional bat exclusion and bat-proofing focuses on the entire building rather than only the room or attic where a bat was discovered.
The Bat Most Often Found Around Nebraska Buildings
Nebraska is home to 13 species of bats, but not every species commonly roosts in buildings. Nebraska Extension identifies the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) as the bat most frequently encountered around structures in the state.
Big brown bats are well adapted to urban environments and may use buildings, barns, attics, wall spaces and other protected structural areas. They can also remain in Nebraska through the winter and may use human structures as hibernation sites.
The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) occurs in eastern Nebraska and may also use buildings, although its populations have been severely affected by white-nose syndrome. The eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) is also found in Nebraska but normally roosts in trees and foliage rather than establishing colonies inside buildings.
Signs of a Bat Colony in an Omaha Building
A bat problem is not always obvious from inside the property. Common signs include:
- Bats repeatedly emerging from the same section of the roofline around dusk.
- Bat droppings beneath an entry point, along a wall, on a porch or inside an attic.
- Dark staining or rub marks around small openings.
- Squeaking, scratching or movement inside walls, ceilings or attic spaces.
- Strong odors caused by accumulated guano and urine.
- Repeated appearances of bats inside living or occupied areas.
Finding one bat inside does not automatically prove that a colony is living in the building. Repeated bat activity, however, can indicate that bats are using the structure as a roost and warrants a thorough inspection.
Professional Bat Removal Is Really a Building-Exclusion Project
Bats should not normally be trapped inside a structure or simply chased from one room to another. A professional exclusion project is designed to let bats leave through active openings and then prevent them from getting back inside.
A typical United Bat Control project may include:
- Inspection: Examine the exterior, roofline, attic and other accessible areas for bat activity and potential entry points.
- Identify Active Openings: Determine which gaps bats are actually using to enter and leave the building.
- Seal Secondary Openings: Close inactive gaps that could become alternate entry points.
- Install One-Way Exclusion Devices: Allow bats to leave active roost openings without allowing re-entry.
- Confirm Bat Departure: Allow sufficient time for bats to exit before the final openings are permanently sealed.
- Complete Structural Bat-Proofing: Seal the building against future bat entry using appropriate materials for the conditions.
- Evaluate Guano or Contamination: Determine whether accumulated droppings or contaminated materials require additional cleanup.
- Follow Up: Confirm that the exclusion has worked and address any project-specific issues.
Bat Exclusion Timing Matters in Nebraska
Timing is an important part of humane bat exclusion because female bats may establish maternity colonies inside buildings while their young are unable to fly.
Nebraska Extension advises against sealing active bat exits while flightless young are present and recommends waiting until the young are capable of leaving the roost. Its Nebraska guidance recommends that building exclusions involving maternity colonies generally be performed after the summer young are able to fly.
This does not mean that an Omaha property owner must ignore an active bat problem. An inspection can identify the situation, determine whether a maternity colony is present and establish an appropriate exclusion plan and schedule.
Residential Bat Removal in Omaha
Residential bat problems frequently involve attics, roof junctions, vents, chimneys, soffits, siding and wall cavities. Because multiple small openings may exist around a roofline, sealing only the obvious hole can cause bats to begin using another opening.
United Bat Control provides residential bat removal and exclusion for homeowners who are hearing bats in walls or attics, finding guano, seeing bats emerge from the structure or repeatedly finding bats inside the home.
Commercial Bat Removal in Omaha
Commercial bat problems can be more complex because the structures are larger, roof systems may contain hundreds of potential openings, and work may need to be coordinated around employees, customers, tenants or normal building operations.
United Bat Control works with commercial and institutional properties including offices, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, apartment and multi-unit buildings, retail properties, schools, universities, healthcare facilities and other large structures.
Learn more about our commercial and industrial bat removal services, school and university bat removal and healthcare facility bat removal.
Bat Guano, Histoplasmosis and Cleanup
Bat droppings can accumulate beneath a long-term roost in an attic, wall space or other protected area. The amount of accumulation and the conditions in the space determine whether specialized cleanup is appropriate.
Histoplasmosis is associated with breathing spores from the fungus Histoplasma, which can grow in environmental material enriched by bird or bat droppings. The concern is particularly relevant when accumulated material is disturbed and dust becomes airborne.
Large accumulations should not simply be swept or vacuumed without evaluating the conditions. Additional information is available on our bat health hazards page.
What If a Bat Is Inside an Omaha Home or Occupied Room?
A single bat inside a room is different from a colony living in an attic or wall. Avoid touching the bat with bare hands.
If there is any possibility that a person was bitten, scratched or had direct contact with the bat, contact a healthcare professional or public-health authority promptly. Because bat bites can be very small, situations involving a bat in a room with a sleeping person, unattended child or someone unable to reliably report contact require particular caution.
When potential rabies exposure is involved, do not release the bat until guidance has been obtained from the appropriate public-health authority, because testing may be recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions About Omaha Bat Removal
What is the fastest way to get bats out of an Omaha home?
For bats living inside a structure, the appropriate method is usually professional exclusion. Active entry points are identified, secondary openings are sealed and one-way devices allow the bats to leave without returning. Simply removing individual bats does not correct the structural openings that allowed the colony to enter.
How much does bat removal cost in Omaha?
Bat removal is difficult to price accurately without inspecting the building. Cost depends on the size and height of the structure, number of entry points, roof configuration, accessibility, size and location of the roost, amount of sealing required and whether guano cleanup or repairs are needed. A small residential exclusion and a large commercial exclusion are very different projects.
Why can’t I just seal the hole where the bats are entering?
Sealing an active opening while bats are still inside can trap them in the structure. They may then move deeper into walls or living areas looking for another exit. Active openings are normally fitted with one-way exclusion devices first, while other potential entry points are sealed.
When should bats be excluded from an Omaha building?
The correct timing depends on the bats using the building and whether flightless young are present. Nebraska Extension advises against excluding maternity colonies while young bats are unable to fly. An inspection can determine the appropriate timing for a particular property.
What attracts bats to an Omaha house?
Bats are generally looking for a protected roost rather than something inside the house to eat. Small structural openings leading to warm, dark and sheltered spaces such as attics and wall cavities can provide suitable roosting locations. Nearby insects and water can also make an area favorable for bat activity.
Can bats make their own holes in a building?
No. Bats use openings that already exist. They do not chew through wood, siding or roofing to create an entry hole. Effective prevention therefore depends on identifying and sealing existing structural gaps after the bats have been properly excluded.
Will ultrasonic bat repellents get bats out of an attic?
Ultrasonic devices are not a substitute for structural exclusion. The reliable approach is to identify the openings bats are using, allow them to leave through properly installed one-way devices and then seal the structure against re-entry.
Does one bat inside the house mean there is a colony in the attic?
Not necessarily. A single bat can accidentally enter an occupied room. Repeated indoor appearances, droppings, noises in walls or ceilings, staining around openings, or bats regularly emerging from the same area at dusk are stronger indications that bats may be roosting in the structure.
Can United Bat Control handle large commercial bat problems?
Yes. United Bat Control works on residential properties as well as commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. Larger projects may involve extensive rooflines, multiple entry points and coordination with building management, employees, tenants or facility operations.
Bat Removal Throughout the Omaha Area
United Bat Control serves Omaha and surrounding communities throughout the metro area, including properties in and around:
- Downtown Omaha
- Midtown Omaha
- Dundee
- Benson
- West Omaha
- Millard
- Elkhorn
- Ralston
- Bellevue
- Papillion
- La Vista
- Gretna
- Bennington
- Douglas and Sarpy County communities
Why United Bat Control?
- Bat-control specialization since 1998.
- Humane exclusion and structural bat-proofing.
- Residential, commercial and institutional experience.
- Nationwide service capability.
- Inspection-based solutions designed for the individual building.
- Warranty coverage available on qualifying bat-exclusion projects. Specific warranty terms are provided with each proposal based on the property, building conditions and scope of work.
Contact United Bat Control for Omaha Bat Removal
If you are seeing bats, hearing activity in an attic or wall, finding guano, or watching bats emerge from an Omaha building at dusk, contact United Bat Control for an assessment.
Call 866-747-2287 for professional bat removal and exclusion in Omaha, Nebraska.
You can also contact United Bat Control online.