What can bats chew through?

Bats in a house are a nuisance. They fly around in the evening in search for food, and it has probably happened more than once that a bat got inside your living room or a bedroom and sent people screaming out of the room in fear of this small living creature flapping around the room. When you notice more than one bat near your home every single day, you will probably realize that bats have gotten inside your house. Check out the attic and you will probably find them there, relaxing during the day, waiting till the night when they go out to search for food. But how did bats get inside?

Many people wonder if bats can chew through wood, wiring or even metal, but the firm answer to every one of these questions is no. Bats are not rodents and they don't act as rodents. They don't chew their way through anything. If your house openings are firmly shut, then bats will not try to chew their way in. The only thing they can "attack" is insulation when they get inside or when they go outside of the attic. And this they will scratch on and not chew on.

Bats don't chew on anything but instead their droppings and urine can pose a serious health and aesthetic issue. Bat droppings can be carriers of diseases and it is also corrosive and can seriously damage house construction and stability. This is the reason why it is important to safely exclude bats from your home. However, it is important to note that not all bats go outside at once, so it will not be a one-time action to exclude an entire bat colony from your home and to consider this problem solved. Bats go outside in the evening in groups, so it is good to create a one-way exclusion funnel that will enable them to go outside but disable them from entering back in. Keep in mind not to do that during the summer and fall because this is when bats have babies that are during that period immobile and can't fly. Getting an adult bat mother out while her babies are still inside will mean death for them and lots of bad smells due to their decomposition.

Bats are not typically a health issue for people and they don't chew on anything. Bats will not harm you, your family or your pets, but instead they will keep the insect population under control as they feed on insects.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Bats page or email us if you have any other questions about What can bats chew through?