We Bat-Proof Houses

Two Bat Control Specialists technicians standing beside a fully equipped bat-proofing service van — We specialize in just one thing.

We Humanely Exclude Bats

Custom box-flashing bat excluder installed over an active bat opening at a soffit and shingle junction. — A custom box-flashing bat excluder allows bats to leave through an opening at the soffit and shingle junction without getting back inside.

Windsor And Essex County Bat Removal And Bat Control Specialists

Humane, guaranteed bat removal across Windsor & surrounding areas — over 30 years of specialist experience.

Humane bat removal and complete bat-proofing for Windsor, Essex County, Lakeshore, Tecumseh, Amherstburg, Kingsville, Leamington, Wheatley, Tilbury, Belle River, LaSalle, and surrounding areas.

Technician screwing down roof wall flashing to seal gaps during bat-proofing. — A technician screws down roof wall flashing to close hidden gaps along the brick wall and shingle roofline. These long flashing seams can allow bats and mice to get behind the roofline if they are not properly secured.

Bat excluder being installed by Bat Control Specialists on a soffit gap to let bats leave safely — Bat excluder being installed over a soffit gap. Properly placed excluders allow bats to leave safely while preventing them from getting back inside.

Bat excluder installed over a gap between the soffit and brick wall beside a chimney on an Ontario home. — A bat excluder installed over a gap where the soffit meets the brick wall beside a chimney. This allows bats to exit safely while preventing them from re-entering the home

Bat excluder installed on custom flashing at a roof and soffit intersection to let bats exit while preventing re-entry. — A custom bat excluder installed over metal flashing at a roof and soffit intersection, allowing bats to leave while the surrounding gaps are permanently bat-proofed.

Custom metal flashing installed over rotted fascia soffit and siding to keep bats and rain out — Custom metal flashing can be installed over rotted fascia, soffits, or siding to close bat entry gaps and help keep rain out of damaged areas.

Installing bat-proof box screens on a London, Ontario house- [ ] By Bat Control Specialists Canadas No1 bat control and bat removal company. — Roof vent being bat-proofed

Bat-proofing caulk work sealing a roof edge gap near the gutter to prevent bat entry — Bat-proofing caulk work being completed along a roof edge and gutter area. Small gaps around shingles, flashing, fascia, and gutters can allow bats into hidden structural spaces if they are not properly sealed.

Bat-proofing worker on a ladder sealing a high gable roofline area on a house

PureRoof silicone being applied to roof flashing to seal gaps against bats and mice. — PureRoof silicone being applied along roof flashing to seal hidden gaps that bats, mice, and other small animals could use to get behind the roofline.

Bat Control Specialists technician caulking a gap above a window where brick, soffit, and trim meet to help prevent bats from entering the home. — A Bat Control Specialists technician sealing a potential bat entry point above a window where the brick wall, soffit, and trim meet.

Windsor and Essex County are one of Ontario’s most active regions for big brown bats in homes, towns, and city neighbourhoods.

From Windsor, LaSalle, Tecumseh, and Belle River to Amherstburg, Essex, Kingsville, Leamington, Wheatley, Tilbury, Comber, South Woodslee, and the Lake Erie shoreline, bats are often found using houses, older homes, cottages, farmhouses, and buildings near marshes, greenhouse areas, creeks, fields, and waterfront habitat.

Bat Control Specialists provides humane bat removal and complete bat-proofing throughout Windsor and Essex County.

We do not just remove bats. We find the hidden openings they are using, bat-proof the structure, and humanely exclude the bats so they can leave but cannot get back in.

Why Windsor And Essex County Are Strong Big Brown Bat Areas

Windsor and Essex County are different from many other Ontario bat regions.

This is not cottage country in the same way as Muskoka or the Bruce Peninsula. It is a southern agricultural, marsh, shoreline, greenhouse, and town-and-city bat region.

The area has:

Lake Erie shoreline
Lake St. Clair shoreline
Detroit River corridor
Marshes and wetland edges
Agricultural fields
Greenhouse growing areas
Heavy insect activity
Older towns and city neighbourhoods
Brick homes, farmhouses, cottages, and rooflines with small construction gaps

Map of Windsor and Essex County showing big brown bat presence around Windsor, Essex County, Point Pelee, Colchester, Kingsville, Leamington, and the Lake Erie shoreline marshes — Windsor and Essex County are prime big brown bat country, with strong activity around city buildings, rural homes, farms, and insect-rich marshes along the Lake Erie shoreline.

Those conditions make the region especially good for big brown bats.

Big brown bats are commonly found in Windsor and Essex County homes because they do well around towns, cities, farms, buildings, and warm structural spaces. They do not need a large attic colony to create a problem. Even smaller numbers of big brown bats can keep showing up inside walls, soffits, chimneys, rooflines, and living spaces.

Big brown bats are the main bat species found in many Windsor and Essex County homes.

Big brown bat hanging on the exterior wall of an Ontario home. — A big brown bat hanging outside an Ontario home. Big brown bats are the most common bat species found in Southwestern, Ontario.

Bat clinging to a window screen inside an Ontario home, circled in yellow. — A big brown bat clinging to a window screen inside a home. Bats that appear indoors are usually coming from hidden wall, ceiling, attic, or roofline spaces — not randomly flying in through an open door or window.

Big Brown Bats Along The Southern Shoreline And Marsh Areas

The southern part of Essex County has some of the best insect-producing habitat in Ontario.

Around Kingsville, Leamington, Wheatley, Rondeau, Comber, Tilbury, and the agricultural shoreline areas, there are marshes, fields, greenhouse operations, drainage systems, creeks, lakefront properties, and warm summer insect activity.

That kind of environment supports large bat populations.

In our field experience, big brown bats are found in strong numbers across this southern region. They use homes and buildings in towns, cities, farms, and shoreline communities with small openings lead into walls, soffits and attics.

The southern Essex County shoreline, marshes, farms, and greenhouse areas create strong insect habitat that supports big brown bats.

Zoomed-in map of Essex County Ontario showing strong big brown bat activity in Windsor, Amherstburg, LaSalle, Essex, Kingsville, Leamington, Colchester, Hillman Marsh, and Point Pelee — A closer look at Essex County shows why this part of Southwestern Ontario is prime big brown bat territory, especially around Windsor, shoreline communities, marsh habitat, and buildings near Lake Erie.

Big Brown Bats In Windsor, Tecumseh, LaSalle, Belle River And Amherstburg

Big brown bats are not just a rural problem.

They are commonly found inside homes in Windsor, Tecumseh, LaSalle, Belle River, Amherstburg, and other built-up areas. They use small gaps around rooflines, soffits, fascia, chimneys, vents, siding, brickwork, and additions.

In city and town neighbourhoods, bats may use:

Brick-to-soffit gaps
Chimney gaps
Loose fascia
Roof vents
Gable vents
Porch roof intersections
Openings around dormers
Siding gaps
Gaps behind flashing
Furnace and utility chases inside the house

Illustrated modern Windsor home showing common bat entry points including chimney gaps, loose fascia, roof vents, gable vents, dormer openings, siding gaps, flashing gaps, and utility chase areas. — In Windsor-area neighbourhoods, big brown bats often enter through small hidden gaps high on the house.

A homeowner may only see one bat inside the house, but that does not mean the bat problem is random. Big brown bats are highly mobile and may use hidden structural spaces in small numbers.

Little Brown Bats Are Beginning To Appear Again Near Lake St. Clair.

For many years after white-nose syndrome, little brown bat activity dropped sharply across much of Ontario.

Map showing little brown bat population decline in Ontario after white-nose syndrome and signs of recovery by 2025. — Little brown bat populations in Ontario were severely reduced by white-nose syndrome by 2013, but recent reports show signs of substantial recovery in Ontario 2025.

Little Brown bat in parry sound onLittle brown bats roosting inside an Ontario attic behind plywood sheathing.tario attic By Bat Control Specialists Canadas No1 bat control and bat removal company. — A colony of little brown bats roosting inside an Ontario attic. Large attic colonies like this require proper exclusion and complete bat-proofing to keep bats from returning.

Big brown bats became the main species found in many southern Ontario homes because they were not affected in the same way as little brown bats.

But now we are now beginning to see signs of little brown bats spreading back into Essex, especially along waterways and lake corridors. In our field experience, little brown bats appear to be moving down from the Bruce Peninsula, Lake Huron region to Lake St. Clair from areas farther north.

We expect to see more little brown bat activity in the Windsor and Essex County region in the future.

Map showing little brown bats recovering after white-nose syndrome and spreading south through Southwestern Ontario along Lake Huron, St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, rivers, streams, wetlands, and shoreline habitats. — Little brown bats are recovering after white-nose syndrome and gradually recolonizing Southwestern Ontario from stronger populations around the Bruce Peninsula and Georgian Bay, following Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, wetlands, rivers, and streams.

Little brown bats are still less common than big brown bats in Windsor and Essex County, but we expect to see more activity along Lake St. Clair in the future.

Big Brown Bats Vs Little Brown Bats In Essex County Homes

The two main species homeowners need to understand are big brown bats and little brown bats.

Big brown bat found inside an Ontario home near the ceiling — A big brown bat found inside an Ontario home. When a bat appears in the living space, it usually came from somewhere inside the structure, not through an open door or window.

Little brown bat clinging to an exposed wooden beam inside a cottage in Ontario. — A little brown bat resting on an exposed wooden beam inside a cottage, showing how bats can end up inside living spaces when they are already using the structure.

Big Brown Bats

Big brown bats are the primary bat species found in many Windsor and Essex County homes.

They are commonly found in towns and cities. They often use walls, soffits, chimneys, fascia gaps, rooflines, vents, and hidden structural spaces.

Big brown bat colonies are usually smaller than little brown bat colonies, but they can be persistent. They may move through walls and show up inside bedrooms, basements, furnace rooms, and finished living spaces.

Little Brown Bats

Little brown bats were once much more common across Ontario before white-nose syndrome caused major declines.

They are still less common in much of Windsor and Essex County than big brown bats, but they are beginning to appear again in some areas, especially near lakefront and waterway corridors.

Little brown bats can form larger colonies than big brown bats. If little browns are involved, the job may be more urgent and the attic or wall activity may be more significant. Additionally little browns are listed as an endangered species in Canada and there are protocols to consider before any bat exclusion work is undertaken.

How Bats Get Into Windsor And Essex County Homes

They commonly enter through small openings around:

Soffit gaps
Fascia gaps
Brick-to-soffit gaps
Chimney gaps
Roof vents
Gable vents
Dormer returns
Porch roof intersections
Loose siding or trim
Gaps behind flashing
Openings around additions
Warped fascia boards
Utility and construction gaps

Broken caulking and open gap between chimney bricks and flashing that can allow bats into a home

Bat entry point at soffit and shingle intersection on a Thornhill Ontario home. — This Thornhill, Ontario home had an active bat entry point where the aluminum soffit meets the roof shingles. These tight soffit-to-shingle intersections are common places for bats to enter homes because the gap is hidden, high, and difficult for homeowners to see from the ground.

Gap between soffit and brick above window where bats can enter a house.

Massive gap between the chimney flashing, brick chimney, shingles, and roof decking on a Thornhill Ontario home, marked as a bat entry point.

Exterior gas fireplace vent with bat droppings visible on the vent cap, indicating repeated bat activity.

Many of these openings are high on the house and difficult to see from the ground.

That is why homeowners often think they found “the hole,” when in reality the house may have multiple active and potential bat entry points.

Why Sealing One Hole Will Not Keep Bats Out

Many homeowners try to solve a bat problem by sealing the one opening where they think bats are getting in.

That never works.

Urine staining and discoloration on stone near the peak of a home where bats were entering between the soffit and brick wall. — Urine staining and discoloration on the stone peak below an active bat entry area. Bats were getting in where the aluminum soffit met the brick and stone wall near the upper roofline.

Humorous arcade-style Whack-A-Bat image showing why chasing individual bats or sealing one visible hole does not solve a bat problem in a house. — Trying to solve a bat problem one bat or one hole at a time is like playing Whack-A-Mole. Complete bat-proofing means finding and sealing every possible entry point.

Bats always have more than one way into the structure. If you seal one opening but leave all the others gaps open, they will simply move to another entry point.

Proper bat control is not guessing.

Proper bat control means inspecting the whole structure, sealing secondary and potential entry points, then installing humane excluders on the final active entry points so the bats can leave but cannot get back in.

Sealing one hole where you think bats are getting in will not keep them out if the rest of the house still has hidden gaps.

Found A Bat Inside Your Windsor Home?

A bat inside your bedroom, basement, bathroom, or living space is not a random fluke.

It usually means bats are using the structure.

Diagram of a single-story brick house with a dormer and chimney, showing common bat entry points around soffits, rooflines, fascia, dormer edges, and where the soffit meets the chimney. — This diagram shows the most common places bats enter a house, including gaps at the gable end, dormer rooflines, fascia and shingle edges, and where the soffit meets the chimney.

Cutaway diagram of a brick house showing bats moving from the attic through framing gaps beside chimneys, pipes, and wires, down wall cavities to the basement and toward the living space. — This cutaway image shows how bats travel from attic entry points down through wall cavities and framing gaps beside chimneys, pipes, wires, and ductwork, eventually reaching the basement and living areas.

Cutaway house diagram showing bats coming from the basement, traveling under unfinished basement stairs and under a door, then flying up into the main living space. — This image shows the final stage of indoor bat movement, with bats coming up from the basement, traveling under the basement door, and ending up loose in the living space of the house.

Bats often enter high on the outside of the house, then move through attics, walls, chimneys, utility chases, plumbing gaps, electrical openings, ductwork spaces, and unfinished basement or furnace room ceilings.

Once a bat gets into the living space, it can move from room to room and show up anywhere in the house.

The bat you see inside is not the whole problem.

It is the warning sign.

The real problem is that bats have access to the building

The Only Way To Permanently Get Rid Of Bats

Benjamin Vaughan dressed as a professor pointing to a chalkboard that says Step 1 bat-proof the house — Professor Ben explains the first step in proper bat removal: bat-proof the house before excluding the bats.

Benjamin Vaughan dressed as a professor pointing to a chalkboard that says Step 2 humanely exclude the bats — After the house is bat-proofed, the active entry points are fitted with excluders so bats can leave safely without getting back in.

Bat-proof the house. Humanely exclude the bats. That’s it.

First, the home is bat-proofed by sealing secondary and potential bat entry points around the structure.

Then humane excluders are installed on the final active entry points. The bats can leave safely, but they cannot get back in.

Once the bats are out, the excluders are removed and the final openings are permanently sealed.

This is the only reliable way to solve a bat problem.

Repellents do not fix it.
Lights do not fix it.
Noise machines do not fix it.
Bat houses do not fix it.
Sealing one hole does not fix it.

Mothballs, sonic repeller, bat repellent spray, and bat house shown as common cheap cures homeowners try for bat problems. — Common cheap cures homeowners try for bat problems, including mothballs, sonic repellers, bat repellent sprays, and bat houses. These products do not remove bats from a house.

Bat house, mothballs, bat repellent, and sonic noisemaker thrown in a garbage can — Bat houses, mothballs, spray repellents, and sonic noisemakers belong in the garbage, not in your bat control plan. None of them solve a structural bat problem.

Permanent bat control means bat-proofing the house first, then humanely excluding the bats from the final active entry points.

Bat Control is A Specialty.

Bat control is specialized work, and the company you hire matters.

Watch the video and read the article below to understand the differences between national chains, local wildlife companies, and experienced bat specialists before deciding who should work on your home.

What Competent Bat-Proofing Should Look Like

Why Windsor And Essex County Bat Control Is Not Like Other Regions

Windsor and Essex County bat control is different because the area is dominated by:

Big brown bats
Town and city homes
Brick houses
Agricultural and greenhouse regions
Marsh and shoreline habitat
Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair corridors
Warm southern Ontario conditions
Heavy insect-producing areas
Bats using houses in smaller but persistent numbers

That is what makes Windsor and Essex County its own bat-control region.

Our Windsor And Essex County Bat Control Process

1. Inspect The Entire Structure

We inspect the whole home, not just the spot where bats were seen.

2. Identify Active And Potential Entry Points

We look for droppings, staining, rub marks, roofline openings, soffit gaps, fascia gaps, chimney gaps, vent issues, and hidden construction gaps.

3. Determine The Likely Species

In Windsor and Essex County, the problem is usually big brown bats, but little brown bats may also be involved in some shoreline areas.

4. Bat-Proof The Structure

We seal secondary and potential openings using proper long-term exterior materials.

5. Install Humane Excluders

Excluders are installed only on the final active entry points so bats can leave safely but cannot re-enter.

6. Seal The Final Openings

Once the bats are out, the excluders are removed and the last openings are permanently sealed.

Windsor And Essex County Service Area

We provide bat removal and bat-proofing throughout Windsor and Essex County, including:

Windsor
LaSalle
Tecumseh
Lakeshore
Belle River
Amherstburg
Essex
Kingsville
Leamington
Wheatley
Tilbury

Comber
South Woodslee
Ruthven
Harrow
Maidstone
McGregor
Cottam
Colchester
Rondeau area
Lake Erie shoreline communities
Lake St. Clair shoreline communities
Detroit River communities

FAQ Section

Are big brown bats common in Windsor and Essex County?

Yes. Big brown bats are the main bat species found in many Windsor and Essex County homes, especially in towns, cities, agricultural areas, and shoreline communities.

Why are there so many bats in southern Essex County?

Southern Essex County has warm weather, marshes, shoreline habitat, agriculture, greenhouse areas, fields, drainage systems, and heavy insect activity. These conditions support strong bat activity, especially big brown bats.

Are little brown bats coming back to Windsor?

Little brown bats are still less common than big brown bats in Windsor and Essex County, but in our field experience they are beginning to appear again in some areas, especially along lake and waterway corridors. We expect to see more of them in the future.

What is the best way to get rid of bats in a Windsor home?

The best way is to bat-proof the entire house first, then humanely exclude the bats from the final active entry points.

Can I just seal the hole where bats are getting in?

No. Sealing one hole usually does not solve the problem. Bats often have multiple hidden entry points around rooflines, soffits, vents, chimneys, fascia, and construction gaps.

Do bat repellents work?

No. Sprays, repellents, lights, noise machines, mothballs, and bat houses do not permanently remove bats from a house.

Do you service Leamington, Kingsville, Wheatley and Tilbury?

Yes. We service Windsor and Essex County, including Leamington, Kingsville, Wheatley, Tilbury, Comber, Belle River, Tecumseh, LaSalle, Amherstburg, Essex, and surrounding communities.

Bat Control Specialists provides professional bat removal and bat-proofing across Windsor and Essex County, including Windsor, LaSalle, Tecumseh, Belle River, Amherstburg, Essex, Kingsville, Leamington, Wheatley, Tilbury, Comber, South Woodslee, and surrounding communities.

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Fast, humane, guaranteed bat removal. Serving Windsor, Essex and the surrounding area