Bats: Chiroptera

Bats are mammals that belong to the order Chiroptera, which means “winged hand.” A bat’s front limbs have membranes that form true, aerodynamic wings. These wings enable them to take off from a resting position, ascend, and fly, making bats the only true flying mammal.
There are at least 16 species of bats in Georgia. The Big Brown Bat and the Little Brown Bat are the species most commonly encountered. Bats play an important role in the environment by consuming countless insects, including mosquitoes, during their nightly flights. A single bat can eat between 600-1,000 insects every hour. Bats are protected under both federal and Georgia law. Bat droppings (“guano”) can cause serious illness and should be left for the professionals. Bats can carry parasites like fleas, ticks and bat bugs, many of which are disease vectors. Bats also have a very high incidence of rabies. Bats can bring bat bugs into the home. The bat bugs are very similar to bed bugs and feed off the blood of its host. Bat exclusion is the process of removing the mammals from the attic and sealing entry points. Bat exclusion should never harm the mammals and should be left for the professionals.