Bats Found in Texas
Bats are a big deal in Texas. While they can be pests when they move into the wall space or attic of your home, they are generally a good neighbor. Texas is home to 33 species of bats, and they range from very tiny to very large, and some of them are amazingly exotic.
The Bats of Texas
One of the oddest types of bats in Texas is the vampire bats. Their name comes from the fact that they drink blood – though usually not human blood. Most vampire bats drink the blood of herbivores, and they do so because, at night, grazers standstill. Despite the Hollywood depiction of vampires having long fangs, vampire bats don’t. Their teeth are razor sharp and somewhat flat. They nick the skin of deer, cow, or elk, and then lap up the blood as it oozes out of the beast. They use an anticoagulant to keep the blood flowing until they have eaten.
Of medical interest is the fact that humans use the vampire bat’s anticoagulant to treat stroke patients. The benefit is that the solution breaks up clots and because it is only bioactive for about ten minutes, it is not a significant threat to health.
Another oddity is Mormoops megalophylla – the Ghost-faced Bat. It gets its name from the phantom-like features of the face. Other bats include the myotis family of bats, which include the little brown bat and the big brown bats.
Why Bats are Important
Bats provide a huge benefit to humans as they eat flying insects, such as mosquitoes, moths, and other pest insects that fly at night. Around a house, they patrol and consume mosquitoes, which are active at dawn and dusk. They can improve outdoor living quality immensely. If your yard is overrun by mosquitoes, consider installing a bat box, which is a wooden unit that meets the bat populations’ roosting requirements.
Bats as Pests
Bats are pests when they roost in a home or business. They like to roost in warm spots, such as the attic or in wall spaces. Both areas offer a dry, safe place to sleep, rear young, and keep warm. The problems with bats in the home are that they are noisy and messy. They chirp and scratch at the wood as they move in and out of the building. Their waste also is very damaging and can carry disease or attract other types of pests, such as insects.
If you suspect bats are making your house their home, then give us a call. Bats are relatively easy to evict if you can find where they are entering and exiting the house. We use humane methods to remove bats from homes and businesses so that they can continue to provide a benefit to humanity.
Our Services include one-time services, or ongoing service calls through our monthly pest control service option. We serve the Bryan and College Station Communities with comprehensive services at affordable rates. Call us with all of your pest concerns. We are happy to answer your questions or to schedule a service call.
