Depending on where you live, there is a good chance that you will have to deal with a bat in your home or business at some point. When this happens, it can be very tempting to simply kill the bat to eliminate the problem once and for all by making sure the bat doesn't return. The thing to remember, however, is that bats tend to live in large colonies. Unless you get rid of all bats and seal up their entry points, you will always have a bat problem no matter how many you kill. There are also multiple great alternatives to killing bats that are more effective and humane. If, however, you are determined to kill the bat, here are some ways to do it.

Consider Legalities
Before you get ready to kill the bat, take some time to consider the legalities. In almost every area of the country, bats are a protected species. This means that it is illegal to kill them. You may get lucky and no one will find out you killed a bat, but if you are discovered, you will face a steep fine.

Poison
Poison is one of the most popular methods of trying to kill bats, but there are multiple issues with this. First of all, you won't find a single legal poison on the market that will work on bats. In fact, there aren't any poisons manufactured or registered that kill bats. Even if you use poison, not all bats will die. Those that do die will probably crawl into a secluded spot to do so, making them hard to remove and leading to their bodies rotting. Using poison to kill a bat won't actually solve your problem. As long as there are still entry points, most of the bats will escape and return when the poison is gone and you will end up facing a fine.

Fumigant
An alternative to poison is a fumigant or bat spray, which is a poison in aerosol form. As with poisons, however, you won't find a single fumigant in the country that is both effective and legal. Options like DDT or RoZol may work, but they are illegal. To make matters worse, any fumigant that kills bats will also harm humans. This means you won't be able to reenter the area after applying it for a considerable amount of time. Keep in mind that using a poison or fumigant will also encourage the bats to leave the immediate area and go somewhere nearby. This frequently leads to bats that were peacefully nesting in your attic suddenly appearing in your living room.

Lethal Traps
Glue boards are designed for trapping insects, but some people use them to try to kill bats as well. As with the other methods, there are multiple issues. First of all, each glue board will only hold a few bats and this means that you may need hundreds to catch all of the animals in your attic. Additionally, the glue board won't immediately kill the mammal. Instead, it will be stuck and slowly starve to death. You also should avoid trapping bats in cages. Doing so is considered inhumane as they aren't easily able to navigate within a cage or trap. This means that they are likely to injure themselves even in live traps.

What To Do With The Carcasses
After you kill the bat or bats on your property, you will still have another issue to deal with: disposing of them. You have to find a way to safely dispose of the bats or they will be left to rot in your home. The only safe disposal method would involve contacting some sort of organization, but since killing bats is illegal, you would be facing a fine by doing so.

Preventative Measures
If killing bats is less than ideal, then you may wonder what you should do instead. The first step is to take preventative measures. Bats are likely drawn to your property due to food, water, or shelter. Minimize standing water and bright lights as these attract insects which the bats feed on. You should also seal up your home so there are no potential entry points for the bats.

Live Exclusion As An Alternative
The absolute best way to get bats out of your home is through live exclusion. This method is easy, effective, and humane while giving the bats a chance at life. Hiring a professional can make exclusion simple, but you can also do it yourself. This would involve sealing up all potential entry points that the bats are using to get into your home except one. Place an exclusion device or one-way door on this remaining entrance. After a few days, make sure the bats are gone, seal the remaining hole, and begin cleaning up. The bats will be gone and won't be able to get back inside to cause problems again and you won't have to harm them in the process.

Read the How to get rid of bats page for helpful information and to learn more about How To Kill A Bat