With 6 year-round species of bats and 3 migratory species, the New Jersey & New York area is home to millions of bats. While urban streets are too bright at night for these nocturnal mammals, suburban and heavily wooded regions are perfect for them. Manmade structures are great places for bat colonies to roost, especially before hibernation. Bats can slip through very small holes or cracks in a structure to gain entry.
Attics and lofts are usually the area of the home in which bats inhabit. Bats can be identified in the home by a variety of signs: thumping and flapping noises, screeching and clicking sounds, fecal matter containing insect parts, and more. Bats that live in a structure can usually be seen leaving it within an hour of sunset, and returning around dawn. The entryway used by a bat colony will soon become brown with the oil from their fur. Bat droppings can lead to the accumulation of a fungus that can cause lung disease in humans. As with any mammal pest rabies can be an issue. While cases of rabies in bats are rare, they show no signs of infection.