WE BAT-PROOF HOUSES IN THE KAWARTHAS & SURROUNDING AREAS

Bat Removal and Complete Bat-Proofing Across the Kawarthas

Bat Control Specialists provides humane bat exclusion and complete exterior bat-proofing for houses, cottages and rural properties throughout the Kawarthas and surrounding communities.

What is the proper way to remove bats from a house?

The proper solution is to bat-proof the entire exterior before installing a one-way excluder at the bats’ remaining active opening. This prevents the bats from leaving through the excluder and simply entering another unsealed part of the same building.

A bat appearing in a bedroom, basement or living area is evidence that the building is accessible. It does not automatically mean that hundreds of bats are present, but it does mean that the exterior problem should be identified and corrected.

Periodic bats inside can indicate a long-term building problem

Many Kawarthas homeowners do not see bats flying from their roofs every evening. Instead, they experience an occasional bat appearing inside—a bat in the basement one month, another in a bedroom later, or unexplained droppings accumulating above an unfinished ceiling.

That pattern can continue for years when only a small number of bats are using the structure.

A few bats do not produce a dramatic nightly emergence. However, droppings, staining and interior appearances gradually accumulate, making the problem look much larger by the time it is discovered.

Bobcaygeon Case Study: Bats Periodically Appearing Inside a Home

The homeowner wanted a permanent solution

The homeowner had experienced bats appearing periodically inside her Bobcaygeon house. For years, her husband had dealt with the occasional bat when one found its way into the living space.

Many years later she understandably no longer felt comfortable dealing with it. She did not want to spend each season wondering when another bat might appear. She called us to determine how the bats were entering and to bat-proof the house properly.

This was not an enormous visible colony. It appeared to involve relatively small numbers of bats using the building over an extended period. Nevertheless, repeated interior appearances were extremely upsetting, and the accumulated evidence showed that the problem was not new.

Project summary

Location: Bobcaygeon, Ontario
Problem: Bats periodically appearing inside the house
Likely species: Evidence consistent with big brown bat activity
Construction: Stone, brick, siding, soffits, dormer rooflines, skylights and chimney
Additional issue: Mouse-access openings
Solution: Complete exterior bat-proofing followed by one-way exclusion
Result: The bats left and stopped appearing inside

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Evidence of bat activity inside the basement

Droppings were visible on the basement floor. In another partially finished room, transparent vapour-barrier plastic had been installed across the ceiling joists.

Bat droppings had accumulated on top of that plastic and between the joists. Because the vapour barrier was transparent, the evidence could be clearly photographed from below without opening the barrier.

The size, distribution and location of the droppings, combined with the pattern of interior activity, were consistent with big brown bats using parts of the structure over time.

This is an important distinction. A relatively small number of bats can leave a surprising quantity of droppings when they return to the same protected spaces for several seasons. A substantial accumulation does not necessarily mean that a massive colony is currently present.

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Scratching, staining and repeated use around the front dormer

The most obvious exterior evidence was concentrated around a projecting front gable or dormer.

There were heavy scratch marks and greasy-looking rub markings around the gaps. These markings develop when bats, mice or other small animals repeatedly squeeze through a confined opening and make contact with the surrounding material.

The staining helped identify this area as more than a theoretical construction gap. It was a frequently used part of the building envelope that required careful sealing.

Here is How We Bat-Proofed Those Areas

These protected openings at the soffit, brickwork and roof intersection were identified as principal bat entry points. Heavy oil staining around the closer opening showed repeated animal traffic. Although bats were using these gaps, much of the pronounced staining was likely produced by mice, as the house also had a major mouse infestation.

The excluder was first positioned over the principal entry point and then carefully sealed around the surrounding soffit and brickwork. This prevented the bats from bypassing the device through another nearby opening while still allowing them to leave the house safely.

Then We Set About Bat-Proofing The Rest Of The House

Large openings where stonework met the soffits

Backer material is important in unusually deep joints. Simply pumping more caulking into an unsupported cavity can produce a weak, untidy repair that wastes material and may not remain properly bonded to both sides of the opening.

Accessing hidden soffit-and-shingle gaps

Some of the vulnerable soffit-and-roof intersections were partly concealed behind the eavestrough.

Sections of gutter had to be removed temporarily so we could reach and seal the gaps where the soffits met the shingles and roof edge. Substantial amounts of flexible exterior sealant were required along these intersections.

This is one reason a quick ground-level inspection can miss important entry points. The opening may be hidden behind an eavestrough, roof edge, trim component or overlapping piece of flashing.

Bat-proofing the spinning turbine roof vents

The roof contained two spinning turbine vents, often called whirlybird vents.

These could not simply be coated with caulking from the outside. Each vent was carefully disassembled so bat-proof screening could be installed inside the assembly without preventing the vent from operating as intended.

The screening was secured and sealed in place. The turbine vents were then reassembled and fastened back onto the roof.

Proper vent modification must keep bats out without unnecessarily disabling the building component or leaving loose screening that can shift out of place.

Securing skylight and roof-vent flashings

Several roof vents and skylights had flashings or edges that required attention.

Loose or raised flashing can create sheltered openings beneath the edge. We secured these components mechanically with screws where appropriate and sealed the relevant joints.

The objective was not to cover the entire roof in caulking. It was to identify and close the specific protected openings that a bat could enter while preserving drainage and the intended function of the roof assembly.

Chimney and liner-cap corrections

The chimney required work at several levels.

Openings around the chimney and adjacent construction were sealed. The upper chimney area required caulking, and the liner and cap assembly also had to be bat-proofed.

Chimneys frequently contain overlapping masonry, metal liners, caps and flashings. Each component must be examined individually because closing one visible gap does not necessarily prevent access through another part of the same assembly.

The roof vents were screened with bat-proof box screens

After the secondary and potential entry points had been closed, we installed a custom one-way bat excluder where the soffit met the brickwork below the chimney.

The excluder allowed the remaining bats to leave the building but prevented them from re-entering through that opening.

The excluder was not the first step. It was the final step after the remainder of the exterior had been bat-proofed.

That order matters:

The result

The bats exited through the one-way excluder and stopped appearing inside the house.

The homeowner no longer had to worry about unexpectedly confronting another bat on her own. More importantly, the project addressed the complete exterior building envelope rather than placing a temporary device over one opening.

The house was left bat-proof with a lifetime guarantee we fixed the problem and was substantially better protected against mice.

What complete bat-proofing may involve

Every house is different. Depending on its construction, a Kawarthas bat-proofing project may require a combination of the following work:

Soffit and roof intersections

Gaps where soffits meet shingles, fascia, dormers or lower roof sections may be concealed behind gutters and trim.

Stone, brick and masonry transitions

Irregular stonework can leave deep openings where masonry meets soffits, siding, wood framing or chimney components.

Roof vents and turbine vents

Vents may require internal bat-proof screening rather than a cosmetic application of sealant around the exterior.

Chimneys, liners and caps

A chimney can have multiple independent openings around masonry joints, liners, crowns, caps and adjoining roof flashings.

Dormers and intersecting rooflines

Dormer corners and roof intersections create protected spaces that can be difficult to inspect from the ground.

Siding and projecting windows

Siding channels, trim intersections and the undersides of bay or box windows can contain long, sheltered openings.

Ridge and exhaust ventilation

Ventilation components must be protected using methods that keep bats out while preserving the component’s intended function.

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Our bat-proofing process

1. Review the problem and building

We begin by learning where bats have appeared, when they were seen, which rooms are involved and what exterior evidence has been noticed.

Photographs of the rooflines and all sides of the house can often help us provide an initial assessment and realistic ballpark price before arranging travel.

2. Inspect the complete exterior

We examine the roof edges, soffits, fascia, dormers, chimneys, siding, stonework, vents, flashings, additions and other construction transitions.

The visible bat exit is only one part of the inspection.

3. Close secondary and potential openings

We seal openings the bats could use after leaving their current access point. This may require caulking, backer material, screening, mechanical fasteners or custom metal flashing.

4. Modify vulnerable vents and building components

Roof vents, turbine vents, chimney caps and similar components may need to be disassembled or modified so they remain functional while becoming inaccessible to bats.

5. Install the one-way excluder

Only after the remainder of the house has been bat-proofed do we install an excluder at the confirmed active opening.

6. Finish the final opening

After exclusion is complete, the remaining opening is closed so the exterior is left permanently protected.

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Kawarthas bat-control service area

We provide specialized bat removal and complete bat-proofing across the City of Kawartha Lakes and a broad surrounding service territory.

Western Kawarthas and Lake Simcoe side

Uxbridge, Sunderland, Brock, Scugog, Port Perry, Seagrave, Beaverton, Brechin and Lagoon City.

Central Kawartha Lakes

Lindsay, Omemee, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Cameron, Coboconk, Kirkfield, Little Britain, Dunsford and surrounding rural communities.

Northern Kawarthas and Haliburton side

North Kawartha, Apsley, Trent Lakes, Buckhorn, Kinmount, Minden Hills, Minden, Highlands East, Wilberforce and surrounding cottage areas.

Eastern and southern service area

Trent Hills, Campbellford, Hastings, Warkworth, communities surrounding Rice Lake, Centre Hastings, Madoc and neighbouring rural areas.

Because this is a large service territory, we normally begin with photographs and a telephone discussion. This allows us to review the building, explain the likely scope of work and provide a preliminary price range before asking a homeowner to schedule an on-site project.

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Frequently asked questions about bats in the Kawarthas

Why do bats keep appearing in the basement?

Does one bat inside mean there is a large colony?

Not necessarily. Big brown bats often occupy houses in relatively small numbers. However, even one recurring interior bat indicates that the building is accessible and should be inspected. A small number of bats can leave a considerable accumulation of droppings when the same spaces are used over several years.

Bats can move downward through wall cavities, unfinished utility spaces and gaps surrounding building services. Once inside the structure, they may emerge into a basement or furnace room even though the exterior opening is much higher on the house.

Can turbine roof vents allow bats into a house?

They can when the vent assembly contains an accessible opening or is not properly screened. A turbine vent may need to be disassembled so secured screening can be installed inside without preventing the vent from operating.

Can you just put an excluder over the hole?

An excluder should not normally be installed until the secondary and potential entry points have been sealed. Otherwise, bats leaving through the excluder may discover another available gap and continue using the building.

What is the difference between bat removal and bat-proofing?

Bat removal allows the existing bats to leave. Bat-proofing closes the building openings that allowed them inside. A successful project requires both humane exclusion and complete exterior protection.

Do you work on cottages and rural properties?

Yes. We work on permanent residences, seasonal cottages, waterfront homes and rural properties throughout the Kawarthas and surrounding regions. Complicated access, island locations and unusually large buildings may require additional planning.

Can you estimate the work from photographs?

Exterior photographs frequently allow us to identify the general building type, roof complexity and likely amount of sealing required. They do not replace a hands-on project inspection, but they help us provide a useful preliminary assessment before travelling across the region.

Stop bats from continuing to enter your home

Bats appearing periodically inside are not something a homeowner should have to endure year after year.

Complete bat-proofing addresses the building rather than only the bat that happened to appear today. We close the vulnerable exterior openings, install a humane one-way excluder at the final active location and leave the house protected against future entry.

Send us photographs of the front, back and both sides of your house, along with a short description of where and when the bats have appeared.