Western Small-Footed Bat (Myotis)

(a.k.a. Small-footed Myotis, Western Small-footed Bat)
Western Small footed Myotis,(bats) are very delicate animals and should only be controlled or removed by a professional bat removal and control expert, call one of the professional companys on our list today! You can find a professional bat removal company here.
If you’ve had a bat or two appear in your house, or if you’re hearing noises you suspect are made by bats, a little bit of investigation will go a long way. Depending on the time of year, it may be an isolated incident, or evidence of a resident maternity colony; here’s how to tell the difference, and how to proceed in either case.
The western small-footed myotis has distinctive coloring: its ears and face are black, the rest of its body brown. It’s common throughout the western US, along the western edge of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, then west to California, Oregon and Washington.
Western small-footed myotis do hibernate, in caves or mines, starting their search for adequate hibernation areas in fall. During warmer months, the small-footed myotis leaves its daytime roost (typically in rock crevices, under boulders, beneath loose bark, or in attics or buildings) shortly after sunset. It’ll even occasionally use an abandoned swallow's nest as a roosting site. It eats insects, including flies, beetles, moths, and ants.

Hearing Noises? Identifying the Culprit

First of all, is essential to verify that a nuisance is caused by bats, and not some other animal. Scrambling, scratching, and thumping sounds coming from attics and walls may be caused by rats, mice, or flying squirrels. Twittering and rustling sounds in old chimneys, often attributed to bats, may be caused by chimney swifts. Bats often become noisy before leaving their roosts at sunset and may chatter on hot days when they move down attic walls to seek refuge from heat. Thus, an increase in chirping noises about dusk probably indicates bats.
Here’s when you pull out the lawn chairs, lemonade, and bug repellent, and sit outside to watch your house around sunset time. If the "bats" swarm and enter the chimney at dusk, most likely these are swifts; a chimney cap will go a long way towards dealing with that problem. Bats will be seen leaving 15-45 minutes after sunset in midsummer. Make note of all the exits the bats are using, and make an approximate count of about how many bats you have (this is important for setting up bat boxes later on). During daylight hours, look for dark staining or smudges along the roofline; these may be places where bats are entering the building, where the oils in the bats’ fur has rubbed off.

Small-Footed Myotis in Early Fall

The discovery of one or two bats in a house is probably the most frequent problem. Small-footed bats often enter homes through open windows and doors, but may use any crevice it can find. This usually occurs in the early fall when bats are checking for potential roost or hibernation sites. These bats may suddenly appear in midwinter during a warm weather spell and even attempt to feed. Migratory bats occasionally enter buildings overnight during their spring and fall migrations.

Small-Footed Bat Appearances in Mid to Late Summer

Repeated occurrences of small-footed bats in your living spaces in mid to late summer suggest that a maternity colony is close by, most likely in the attic. As juvenile bats begin fending for themselves and exploring, one may explore its way into your living room. The presence of any bat in your living spaces is purely accidental; it is often a simple matter to allow it to escape.

Letting Them Out, The small footed Bat

Any bat will usually find its own way out; jut open all windows and doors leading to the outside. Bats usually will not attack a person even if chased. Never swat or throw things at the bat, or run around waving. All this tends to do is confuse the bat and leave you exhausted. Above all else, calmly watch the bat to make sure it leaves. If the bat refuses to leave, it will calm down and land on something. Drapes and hanging clothes seem to be the preferred rest areas. Place a small box or can over the bat, then gently slide thin cardboard under the "trap" to collect your bat, then release it outside. At last resort, local health authorities can be called to collect the bat, though this may result in its demise. If the bat, or any wild animal, has come in contact with pets, children, invalids, etc. contact your local health department. Health department recommendations vary from state to state.

Small-Footed Myotis Exclusion

These are animals that can hone in on a single mosquito flying through the air; a ½ inch crack in the side of a house is quite easy for them to find. The first step in dealing with a small-footed bat infestation is to watch after sunset to see where the bat entrances to the home are, then sealing up all but one or two of them. Then install bat boxes, and plug the remaining entrances with paper after the bats have exited the building for the evening to prevent them from reentering the structure. Remove the temporary plugs in the evenings to allow any remaining individuals to escape, or have one-way exclusion devices installed.

Professional Measures

There are several ways a professional bat abatement company can help. Look for a company who:
• has years of experience finding all the tiny entrances bats use to enter and exit a structure, and in sealing up those gaps.
• can quickly and efficiently clean up accumulated bat guano and urine, which poses a significant health risk if not dealt with properly.
uses only the most effective exclusion and removal techniques, in compliance w
We have many pages on several different species of bats, please use our main bat removal page for specific species of bats needing controlled.

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