First you must ascertain that it is, in fact, bats that are your problem. This is best accomplished by either seeing bats themselves, or by seeing their “guano” (feces). Short of seeing the bats with your own eyes, guano is the next best “find.” Bat guano is black and formed into little pellets that have an overwhelmingly strong musky odor. If you think it may be guano, it probably is. Be very careful when dealing with guano, as it has been known to cause hemorrhagic fever and, more commonly, histoplasmosis. Bat urine is also very strongly scented, although it usually only leaves small stains visible to the eye. Try to determine which species of bat you are dealing with by looking up your region and the characteristics of your home specifically. The next step is to watch during the common bat-flying hours to see where they are entering and exiting your home. Once you have determined the general area of entrance and exit, you must get up close to determine exactly what holes or cracks they are using to get in and out. Bats can squeeze into a space that is a mere 3/8ths of an inch, so do not discount any “insignificant” holes!

There are four main options for you to consider in regard to getting rid of the bats. One is simply to create a ruckus. Another interesting way is to create (or buy) a bat box to coax the bats out of the house and into. A third, and most effective, method is to set up an exclusion chamber for the bats to get out of the cabin, but not be able to get back into it. The fourth is to call a professional pest control company. Bats prefer dimness and calmness, rather than brightly lit chaos. Leaving a light all night long in the cabin is the least expensive and easiest method. Having either a radio playing or a white noise machine to accompany it multiplies your chances of having this method be effective.



The local home maintenance or hardware store will have a bat box kit, undoubtedly, or you can download one from the Internet. They are easily built from reclaimed wood or ½ inch plywood, the rougher, the better, for the bats to cling to. A rectangular shape, measuring at least 2 feet tall by 1 foot wide, and a depth of 3-5 inches is what is recommended. Some people may double-up, either side-by-side or back-to-front. Placing them for optimal temperature may be tricky, but usually a southeastern facing front, along with a darkly-painted exterior will keep the bats happy. The chore is to get them out of your house and into their new one.

Said to be the most-effective method, the one-way exclusion chamber or device will surely keep them out once they have gone out to hunt for prey. At its basic, the one-way exclusion device is a valve, tube, or mesh device that will allow the bats to fly out, but prevents them from returning. These also can be found at home improvement centers, hardware stores, or downloaded off of the Internet.

Calling a professional may be your last resort, if all other methods have failed. It may also be the first option, if you are not a do-it-yourself-er.

Read the How to get rid of bats page for helpful information and to learn more about HOW DO I GET BATS OUT OF MY LOG CABIN??

HOW DO I GET BATS OUT OF MY LOG CABIN??