Licensed, humane bat removal. Lifetime warranty.

A few clear signs point to bats. The most obvious is seeing them fly out at dusk to hunt insects — stand outside at sunset and watch the soffit and roofline for 15 minutes. Other signs include scratching or clicking sounds in the walls or attic at dusk and dawn, dark oily stains near the soffit or fascia (bat fur leaves marks at entry points), small piles of droppings directly below those entry points, and a sharp ammonia smell in the attic or upper floors. Repeat indoor sightings matter too. One bat that flew in once is different from multiple sightings over weeks — the second pattern usually means a colony is roosting in the walls or attic. If you have any of these signs, book an inspection.

Bats squeeze through gaps as small as half an inch — about a centimetre. The most common entry point is the soffit-fascia junction, where the roof meets the wall. From there: unscreened roof vents, gable vents, chimney flashings where they meet the roof, loose siding seams, and unsealed dormer trim. Older Ontario homes are at the highest risk. Cedar shake roofs, century homes, and stone-construction houses all have natural gaps that bats find easily. Even newer homes with a single missing piece of trim or a lifted soffit corner can host a colony. The forensic-level inspection we do during a quote walks the entire envelope — every soffit, vent, joint, and flashing — because missing one access point means the exclusion fails. We typically find six to fourteen entry points on a single home.

Removal alone means getting the current bats out. Exclusion means removal plus permanently sealing every entry point so bats cannot return. Removal alone is illegal in Ontario without exclusion — trapping and relocating bats violates the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and simply chasing them out without sealing the gaps means they return within days. Exclusion is the legal and effective method: we install one-way valves at active entry points so bats can leave but cannot re-enter, then seal every gap once the colony has cleared. This is what we offer. See our bat exclusion service at /services/bat-removal-and-exclusion for the full process. The lifetime warranty on the seal points is what makes exclusion worth doing once and properly.

Yes — a single bat in a room is manageable. Turn off all the lights inside the room. Open one window or exterior door as wide as it will go. Leave the room and close the door behind you. The bat will navigate to the airflow and dark exterior and leave on its own, usually within 15 to 30 minutes. Then call us. A single bat indoors is rarely a one-off — it usually means a colony is roosting in the walls or attic and one wandered down through a wall cavity or vent. Do not try to grab the bat with bare hands. The rabies risk is small but real, and any direct contact warrants medical attention. Do not swat at it or try to trap it in a container. Just let it leave.

Honest answer: yes for a single bat in a room (see the room-bat question above), no for an actual colony. Four reasons. First, safety. Dried guano releases Histoplasma spores that cause histoplasmosis, a serious respiratory infection — proper cleanup needs P100 respirators and Tyvek coveralls, not a household vacuum. Second, regulations. Improper exclusion during maternity season violates Ontario's Endangered Species Act and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, with penalties reaching $25,000 per offense. Third, complexity. Finding every entry point requires walking the entire roofline, soffit, and vent system with experienced eyes — most homes have six to fourteen access points, and missing one means the exclusion fails. Fourth, warranty. DIY work has no warranty if a bat comes back. We are not the only option, but pick a licensed wildlife specialist either way.