When it comes to powders, granules, sprays and stuff you can buy at Home Depot or online, in my 15+ years as a wildlife removal professional, I have seen it all: attics filled with strobing lights, blaring radios, ultrasonic sound machines,
natural remedies like peppermint, and every
type of over-the-counter repellent, from coyote urine flakes, to ammonia, to the end-all-be-all el cheapo scam, mothballs. I once went into an attic in which a desperate old lady had dumped close to 100 lbs. of mothballs
in her attic. The bats didn't care! Here's the problem with repellents in general: once a bat lives in your attic, and has a nest of babies there, that's it. That's the only option for survival. There is no
device, no repellent that will make them leave. Go ahead and buy a bat repellent at Home Depot, or a bat deterrent device online - waste your time. But they have zero demonstrated effectiveness.
However, if you want to keep bats out of your attic, there's a GREAT repellent - home repair products! You can use many products like caulk or polyurethane foam, since bats can't chew. Inspect
the house to find the entry holes, and seal them shut. 100% guaranteed repellent! But if you already have bats in your attic, there's no product or device that will make them leave. Luckily, the problem is just as
easy to solve with repairs and exclusion doors as it is with a applying a repellent. Do it the right way and get your bat problem solved. Learn more about proper bat prevention with
home repairs, and following that, the correct methods for bat removal to get rid of them for good.
A gimmick meant to take your money, but worst of all, waste your time. These won't solve the problem, which will only get worse while you wait.
These products are sold everywhere, and emit high-frequency sound. They are so fraudulent the FTC has issued a warning about them as a consumer product.
Buy some proper materials and seal shut the entry holes, with professional grade repairs, and that's the most effective repellent you can buy!
Mothballs: 0/5 STARS Mothballs or mothball flakes, sometimes mixed with coyote urine or other ingredients, is the most common repellent - cheap to make. But zero effectiveness on bat
behavior. And a known environmental toxin and carcinogen to boot! Wow! That's my mothball bat repellent review.
Ammonia: 0/5 STARS Ammonia has a strong odor, like mothballs. But in an attic, which is ventilated, the smell just kind of wafts away. Bats aren't going to leave the attic and go outside
to die just because of a smell that may not even reach their nose! C'mon.
Strobing Lights: 0/5 STARS These flashing light machines for bats are commonly sold by enthusiastic marketers, but I've been in attics with several of these installed, and the bats
don't care. They can easily go do dark areas, down in eaves and soffits, or behind beams and insulation. Or maybe they just don't care about flashing lights at all. They don't work. That's my flashing light bat repellent review.
Sound Machines: 0/5 STARS Same as with the lights or the odor, they are able to go to places in the attic where the effect is less, and/or they just don't care. A bat is not going
to let her young die just because of a sound or light or smell! That's my sound machine bat repellent review - but you don't have to take my word for it. Look up what the FTC has to say about these fraudulent devices.
Home Repairs: 5/5 STARS Bravo! The winner! Just find the entry holes the bats are using to get into your house, seal them shut with metal repairs, and you have a 100% effective, PERMANENT bat
repellent solution.
Bat Repellent – Deterrent Products And Devices
Most people want to keep bats away from their home because of the risk of disease. If you are concerned about bats, you should know that the risk of contracting rabies from them is very low but you can develop other health issues if you come in contact with their waste or guano. Even so, bats are beneficial, eating mosquitos and other bugs that can cause issues. If, however, you want to keep them away from your property, there are a few things you can do along with multiple “recommendations” that don't actually work.
Commercial Repellents
As hard as you try to look, you won't actually find a registered bat repellent. While some products may claim to keep these animals away, none have been proven successful enough to actually be registered. You may find some success stories of these products working amazingly, but these are all either lies or coincidences. Ask any bat removal expert and they will tell you that these products never work in the long term. In some rare cases, you may think the product worked for the first hour or so, but the bats will return once you have been out of the attic for a few hours. If you were to use a commercial repellent to keep bats away, you would have to spray it constantly.
Loud Noises Or Bright Lights
Many people will suggest playing loud noises or flashing bright lights to keep bats away and these methods are just as ineffective as commercial repellents. The bats can just move quickly to avoid the bright lights. In fact, bright lights can be a good thing for the bats since they will attract more bugs and the bats feed on these. Of course, you would also have to deal with the constant lights and a higher electricity bill. The same is true of sound machines but some companies sell ultrasonic sound machines so you will have to spend on electricity (and the machine itself) but won't have to listen. Unfortunately, these ultrasonic sound machines don't work to the extent that the FTC issues warnings against them and no reputable bat removal expert will ever suggest them.
Moth Balls
Moth balls or naphthalene is a common remedy to repel nearly every type of wildlife, including bats but that doesn't mean it works. The idea is that the moth balls will smell very bad and irritate the bats to the point that they leave. Unfortunately for you, the bats won't stay away from their new home just because it smells bad. There is also a serious risk to using moth balls as they are dangerous for humans and animals. The chemicals in moth balls are very strong, which can trigger sensitivities in both people and pets. This means that to apply the moth balls, handle them, or check on whether they are working, you would have to be exposed to them.
Natural Remedies
While all of the above bat repellents are ineffective and cost you money, there are other options that don't cost anything since you probably already have everything in your home. While these natural remedies are affordable and won't hurt the planet like moth balls will, they aren't any more effective. You can find suggestions like cinnamon, predator urine, human hair, green tea, or cayenne, but none will keep bats away. Neither will hanging deterrents like Mylar balloons, mirrors, or foil.
The Repellent That Works
The only way to truly keep bats out of your property is to make sure they don't have a way to get inside. While you can't keep them out of your trees (at least not easily), you can make sure they don't take up residence in your attic. Take the time to seal every single gap that leads into your attic. Bats can fit through spaces as small as 3/8 of an inch so you need to close everything. If you can't spot holes, try going into your attic in the middle of the day and leave the lights off. Wherever sunlight shines into the attic, there is a potential bat entrance. You can also have an experienced professional do this for you.
You can also do a few things to make your property less appealing to bats. Unfortunately, they are likely to want to roost in your trees, but you can at least try to take away their food source. If you have standing water on your property, for example, this will attract insects which in turn attract bats since they are a source of food. Get rid of this standing water and you should notice a decrease in bats. If you already have bats on your property, consult an expert to help you get them away and discourage them from coming back. In the case of bats inside your home, a professional can help you safely and humanely get them out and keep them out.
Do bat repellents work? NO! Luckily, the problem is easy to solve with repairs and exclusion, which is a permanent solution - and the only effective one, unlike a applying a repellent. Do it the right way and get your bat problem solved.