Virginia bat information for property owners
Virginia Bat Facts
These Virginia bat facts explain how bats live, why they sometimes use buildings and what signs property owners may notice. Bats are valuable native wildlife, but a bat inside a living space or a colony in a structure calls for the right response.
Educational guidance • Practical safety steps • Professional bat-removal options
Bat inside a living space or possible contact with a person or pet?
Keep people and pets away and do not touch the bat with bare hands. If a bat may have bitten or scratched someone—or was found in a room with a sleeping person, unattended child or someone unable to reliably report contact—do not release, discard or destroy it before receiving public-health guidance.
Contact your local health department, healthcare provider or animal-control authority promptly for exposure instructions. For help with a bat occupying a building, tell us the service address, where the bat was seen and whether it is still contained.
Call: (804) 457-2883
Hours: Mon–Fri 6 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sat–Sun 6 a.m.–noon • After-hours service by prior appointment
Serving since 2008
Virginia property owners
Licensed and insured
Professional field service
Bat-focused inspection
Evidence before action
Removal + exclusion
Plans based on the building
Native wildlife
Virginia bat facts homeowners should know
Understanding normal bat behavior makes it easier to separate a routine outdoor sighting from a building problem that needs evaluation.
Bats are true flying mammals
Bats are the only mammals capable of sustained flight. Like other mammals, they have fur, give birth to live young and nurse their offspring.
Echolocation helps them navigate
Bats can see, but many species also use high-frequency calls and returning echoes to move through darkness and locate prey.
Most Virginia bats eat insects
Native bats consume night-flying insects and are an important part of Virginia ecosystems. Outdoor feeding activity alone is normally not a removal problem.
Buildings can mimic natural roosts
Why bats use attics, walls and rooflines
Bats naturally shelter in trees, caves, rock crevices and other protected spaces. Some species also use buildings when roof edges, vents, siding gaps, chimneys or construction joints provide dark, sheltered access.
A bat can use an opening that appears surprisingly small. The visible gap may not be directly above the interior roost, so closing only the first opening found can leave animals inside or simply shift activity elsewhere.
Common building clues
- Bats emerging near dusk
- Chirping or movement near a wall or attic
- Dark rub marks around a narrow opening
- Droppings beneath a regular entry point
- Repeated bats in living areas
- Activity around soffits, vents or chimneys
Seasonal activity
Maternity colonies affect when exclusion work can occur
Female bats may gather in warm summer roosts to give birth and raise young. Newborn bats cannot fly immediately. If openings are closed while dependent young remain inside, adults may be separated from them and bats may enter occupied rooms while searching for another way out.
The appropriate timing depends on the species, current activity, roost location, weather and the building. A professional inspection should come before exclusion work; a calendar date by itself does not prove a structure is clear.
Calm, practical safety
Bat facts about rabies and droppings
Not every bat has rabies, and simply seeing a bat outdoors is not an exposure. Because rabies is deadly once symptoms begin, however, a possible bite, scratch or saliva exposure requires prompt professional guidance. Review the Virginia Department of Health rabies guidance.
Bat droppings can accumulate below a long-used roost. Disturbing large accumulations may create airborne dust. The CDC advises using specialized professional cleanup for large amounts of bird or bat droppings; see its histoplasmosis prevention guidance.
From information to a solution
When Virginia bat facts point to a building problem
A single bat flying outdoors is part of normal wildlife activity. Repeated indoor bats, a confirmed attic roost, droppings below a consistent opening or evening emergence from the structure are different. Those signs justify an inspection and a building-specific plan.
VPWRS provides bat inspection, removal and exclusion services for occupied structures. The service page explains what we inspect, how exclusion is planned and what information helps us evaluate a request.
Helpful details to provide
- Service address and property type
- Where the bat or activity was noticed
- Dates and times of sightings
- Whether a bat is currently contained
- Visible entry points or droppings
- Clear photos taken from a safe location
Avoid making the problem worse
Do not seal a suspected bat opening without an inspection
Foam, caulk or screening placed over an active opening can trap bats inside. It may also force them into living areas or create a new entry point elsewhere. Repellents, ultrasonic devices and bright lights do not replace a complete inspection and exclusion plan.
When exclusion is appropriate, the work must account for every active opening, the bats’ ability to leave, seasonal limitations and the repairs needed after activity ends.
Related information
Common questions
Virginia bat facts FAQ
Are bats blind?
No. Bats can see, and many species also use echolocation to navigate and find prey in low light or darkness.
Do all bats carry rabies?
No. A bat sighting does not mean the animal has rabies. Any possible bite, scratch or saliva exposure should still be discussed promptly with public-health or medical professionals.
What should I do if I find a bat in the house?
Keep people and pets away, close interior doors if this can be done safely and avoid bare-hand contact. If possible exposure occurred, do not release or discard the bat before receiving public-health instructions.
Why are bats in my attic?
Attics can provide warmth, darkness and protected crevices similar to natural roosts. Bats may enter through small gaps at roof edges, vents, siding, chimneys or construction joints.
Can I seal the hole as soon as I find it?
Not safely without knowing whether it is active and whether bats or dependent young remain inside. Premature sealing can trap animals or force them into occupied rooms.
Do Virginia bats eat mosquitoes?
Virginia bats eat many kinds of night-flying insects, which can include mosquitoes. Their diet varies by species, season and available prey, so bats should not be presented as a guaranteed mosquito-control treatment.
When can bats be excluded from a building?
Timing depends on species, roost use, flight-capable young, weather and building conditions. Inspection is needed before selecting the appropriate method and schedule.
Who should I call about bats in a building?
For a possible human or pet exposure, contact public-health, medical or animal-control authorities. For inspection, removal and exclusion from a structure, call VPWRS at (804) 457-2883 or use the request form below.
Request professional help
Request Bat Removal Service
Please complete our contact form below:
Include where you saw or heard bat activity, when it occurs and any safe access details that may help us evaluate the request. For an immediate conversation during normal business hours, call (804) 457-2883.
Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services, LLC • (804) 457-2883 • vawildlifepro@gmail.com