Dealing with bats inside your chimney is no easy task.
Bats inside your chimney create several issues for homeowners.
First, you can’t use your chimney without putting the population in danger.
They are hard to get out of if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Don’t worry. I’m here to help.
In this post, I’ll go over 8 easy and effective ways to get rid of bats inside your chimney.
Let’s get started.
1. Use a One-Way Door
One of the best ways to get rid of bats inside your chimney is to use a one-way door.
A one-way door will allow bats to leave the chimney naturally every night as they would.
The only difference is that the bats won’t be able to re-enter the chimney.
The crucial part of using a one-way door is to make sure that you seal all potential entry points.
If there is more than one entry point, then the bats will not have an issue re-entering the chimney.
This entire process typically takes 2-3 days for all the bats to leave the chimney.
I recommend placing a motion-activated camera just outside the one-way door so that you can track the bats leaving.
After 3-4 days, you can also check the inside of your chimney using a borescope inspection camera.
2. Inspect Your Chimney and Seal Potential Entry Points
Inspecting your chimney is one of the most important things to get rid of bats.
Inspect your chimney for any potential entry points. Bats might look large, but they can fit into small areas.
Any potential holes or crevices larger than .04 inches or just larger than a dime will be big enough for a bat to fit.
You can cover any of these holes using caulk, stucco, wire mesh, or a complete surface replacement.
A temporary cover is typically sufficient to help you get rid of bats.
If you don’t cover the potential entry points on your chimney, then bats will have no issues returning or re-roosting inside your chimney.
3. Use A Chimney Cover
A chimney cover is one of the best ways to get rid of bats. The best way to ensure that get rid of your bats is to apply the chimney cover at night.
This is because bats typically leave their roost at night. You can expect bats to leave two to three hours after sunset. They will return to their roost once they are done eating.
You can place a motion-activated camera at top of the chimney to let you know once they leave.
This will let you know once you can apply the chimney cover. After the cover is on the bats won’t be able to re-enter your chimney.
If there are young bats in the roost they will not leave the roost with the rest of the bats.
To avoid keeping young bats trapped you can apply a one-way door as a precaution.
This will allow any young bats to eventually leave your chimney.
If you can afford an expensive chimney cover you can use wire mesh over your chimney. These are easy to apply and inexpensive compared to chimney covers.
Wire mesh is also flexible and allows you to easily apply a one-way door while keeping other bats out of your chimney.
4. Install a Bat House
One way you can get rid of bats is by installing a bat house. Bat houses can encourage bats to leave your chimney.
Bat houses are a more ideal roosting location than a chimney. The provide more darkness, a tighter location, and an easier way for bats to hang.
This is especially true if the chimney is in use and the bats begin to experience fumes.
When installing a bat house, its best to couple the installation of a bat house along with a one way door or your chimney.
It’s also important that you make sure all potential entry points are sealed around your chimney.
When installing a bat house, you can purchase a bat house or make one yourself. Bat houses are relatively simple to make, and there are plenty of videos online that you can follow.
5. Apply Bat repellents
Another thing you can do to drive bats out of your house is to apply bat repellents inside your chimney.
The best place to place bat repellents is on the smoke shelf. The smoke shelf is a small shelf or platform the is typically above the inside of the firebox.
Placing bait repellents here can be difficult but can be done from the inside of the home.
It can also be placed by dropping it from the top of the chimney.
The best bat repellents include:
- Chemical repellents
- Mothballs
- Natural repellents that contain essential oils such as peppermint
- Use Phenol
6. Call a Professional
One of the easiest but most expensive options is calling a professional. Calling a professional is not necessary but should be done if you are elderly or can’t use a ladder or easily install exclusion devices on your chimney.
While these are relatively easy to apply they do require an able body and place you on top of your roof.
Professionals typically use humane options and will ensure that all bats are outside of your chimney.
You can also request that they assist you with removing any dead bats or feces build-up.
Professional removal typically takes several days to one week. Using a professional ensures that you can begin using your chimney again without harming any bats.
Signs of Bats
1. High-Pitches Noises
One common sign of bats is high-pitched noises. Unlike other flying animals, bats make a distinct high-pitched shriek or chirp.
These sounds are typically easy to identify compared to other animals.
These high-pitched noises can be heard from inside your home originating around the chimney.
It’s also possible that you will hear these noises coming from outside your home. Bats leave their rooting area every night to forage for food and will return in the morning.
As a result, it’s likely that you will hear these same high-pitched noises outdoors when the ants are foraging for food.
2. Guano
Bat’s release feces in large amounts. When bats roost in a particular area for an extended amount of time it’s inevitable that guano or rat feces will build up to where they live.
Bats poop around 20-30 times a day. As a result, guano can build up and start to small quit fast.
Rat droppings are black, long thin pellets. They are soft and easily fall apart.
These dropping can begin to fall into the firebox of your chimney if large amounts start to build up on the smoke shelf.
They may also fall onto the front of your chimney if your chimney damper has been closed for a period of time.
After opening the damper any guano on the damper will fall into the firebox of your chimney.
3. Urine or a Strong Urine Scent
One of the primary scents that are caused by a rat infestation is a strong ammonia smell.
These strong ammonia smells are the result of urine buildup in a particular location.
If you begin to smell ammonia coming from your chimneys or around your chimney this is a sign of bats.
4. Live Bats
If you see or hear live bats around your home, this is a sign that there could be bats around your home.
You might see bats flying around where you live. Bats are nocturnal, which means they are only active at night. This can make it challenging to see bats.
Depending on the species, you are likely to find them around trees, plants, flowers, or areas with high insect activity.
You can also use the sound or their flying habits in the night sky to identify bats.
They fly differently than birds which makes them easy to distinguish.
They also tend to fly in groups and use their eco location or high-pitched chirps while flying and hunting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Bats Like To Live In Chimneys?
Bats like to live in chimneys because they provide an ideal nesting area.
When looking for a bat nest look for several features
- Small, tight locations
- Areas to hang
- Protection from predators
- High off the ground
- Areas that provide darkness during the day and night
Chimneys fit these characteristics perfectly they provided a tight area that makes it easy for bats to hide and care for their young. Likewise, it also provides a location high off the ground that is dark and allows them to hand.
How Do Bats Get Inside Chimineys?
The most common way that bats get inside chimneys is through the entrance at the top of the chimney. Bats can also enter through cracks, holes, or crevices on the base of your chimney.
Chimneys often begin to deteriorate over time. As a result, bricks, moldings, or concrete can begin to fall apart.
These can create potential entry points for bats to roost inside your chimney.
How Do Bats Exit Chmineys?
Bats will typically exit the same way they enter the chimney.
Most commonly, this is through the top of the chimney. But, bats can also exit through cracks, holes, or crevices around the chimney.
Can you smoke bats out of your chimney?
Smoking out bats by turning on the chimney is not an ideal way to get rid of bats.
Fire and smoke are not ideal because you will likely end up killing some of the bats inside your chimney but some could stay inside your chimney.
While killing the bats sounds like a good idea it’s not. You will likely end up with dead bats and burned feces inside your chimney.
If this does occur, you will have to deal with a strong, foul odor. Second, using smoke will also require you to remove the dead bat bodies from your chimney. The bats are likely to stay stuck inside the chimney even after they die.
How much does it cost to remove bats from chimney?
Having bats removed from your chimney professionally can cost anywhere from $300 to $800.
Removing bats from a chimney is not an easy task. It typically requires that multiple sessions to ensure that all the bats have left the chimney.
Pest control professionals also typically try to clean and remove any potentially dead bats that are inside your chimney.
Do bats make a noise when inside a chimney?
Yes, bats can make noises when they are hiding inside chimneys. The common noises you will hear from bats are high-pitched short chirps.
These sounds are different than birds because they are typically higher-pitched compared to the lower-pitched sound of birds.
You may also hear scratching or rustling noises coming from the chimney. These are common noises that bats emit when they are hiding roosting inside chimneys.
Is it Dangerous To Have Bats In Your Chimney?
The main danger of having chimneys inside your home is the accumulation of bat feces or guano.
Old bat droppings can produce a fungus that can cause lung disease, known as Histoplasmosis, when inhaled.
The severity of the infection will vary depending on how many spores you inhaled and your overall health.
Bat droppings can also have parasites and other pathogens that can be harmful to touch.
For instance, bat poop can contain roundworms. Roundworms can become fatal when ingested or inhaled.
How To Keep Bats Outside of Chiminey?
There are several things you can do to keep bats out of your chimney:
- Seal all entry points around your home
- Apply a cover to the top of your chimney
- Use a bat house and give bats an alternate house to live in
- Use repellents inside your chimney and at the top of your chimney.
Taking these steps will ensure that bats stay out of your chimney once they leave.