Their colors allow them to camouflage within the different trees. They will often choose elm, Box Elder, oak, and sycamore trees. This means that if you have these trees on your property, these are likely where you are going to find bats roosting.

 

Eastern red bats will typically eat different types of small insects, ranging from leaf hoppers to flies to moths to beetles to various other insects. They are fast flyers and will hunt for food during the evening hours. They will generally follow the same path each and every night, which makes it easy to find out where they are lurking within your property.

 

During the warmer months, they can be found in the early evening flying around woodland edges, the forest, and even around streetlights.

 

Eastern red bats are also seasonal. They will arrive in the colder, northern climates around the middle of April and leave in late October. They typically choose the warmer regions to hibernate. They will often choose a hollow tree and their body temperature will drop naturally to just above freezing. During their hibernation, they live off their fat reserves and may lose approximately 25% of their body weight by spring.

 

Where the Eastern Red Bats Live

 

The Eastern red bat lives throughout southern Canada, through the United States, as well as into Argentina and Chile. They will typically live in forests and roost with thin foliage. They often choose deciduous trees, but will sometimes roost in a coniferous tree, depending upon what they can find. There red color allows them to blend in well with the foliage, making it hard for them to be discovered.

 

When the Eastern red bats hang upside down within the trees, they blend in and look like a deadly or pinecone. This has helped with their survival significantly.

 

Why They Can Be Problematic

 

Red bats don’t typically affect humans in a negative way. They play an important role to the ecosystem because of their consumption of insects.

 

While red bats don’t pose a direct problem, they can be problematic if they come into your home or other structure. They are going to look for warm areas, and this may include your attic – and they may get access via vents, holes within the roof, and more.

 

Once they get inside your structure, they may set up camp. This is going to pose a problem because of their natural functions. You may have a problem if Eastern red bats get into your home and then cannot get out. If they die in your attic, it can result in a significant smell over time as they begin to decompose.

 

Further, bat guano can be extremely dangerous. Their droppings may look like those of mice, but when dried, it turns into a powder if touched. This can become airborne and if inhaled by humans, it can lead to various respiratory infections. This means that guano is actually listed as a hazardous material and should never be touched by anyone without the knowledge of how to deal with the droppings as well as with the proper materials.

 

Guano and urine can smell, stain, and cause an array of other problems. Further, the weight of guano can be significant over time, and cause issues on structures.

 

How to Control the Bat Problem

 

The easiest way to control a bat problem with Eastern red bats is to prevent them from getting inside of a structure. This requires ceiling up all holes in and around the roof. You will want to check vents, chimneys, and other areas. Spend some time outdoors at night looking at your structure. You may be able to see the bats flying in and out, thus you will know exactly where the problem is so that you can seal it – after they leave.

 

You never know what kinds of disease they may carry, and you don’t want their bodies decomposing within your home or other building.

 

The best thing to do is remove any access points by sealing everything up. If you find guano, you will want to contact a professional for removal to ensure that everything is done properly. You can also schedule building inspections on an annual basis so that you can find out if Eastern red bats have penetrated your home.

 

Bats Away is your local bat control and removal expert in NJ.