Bat Facts!

Scientific name: Chiroptera

There are 18 species of bats in Colorado. Some are here year-round, while others will migrate to warmer climates in the winter.

Bat conservation is more important now, than ever before with White-nose syndrome threatening populations. These mammals play a valuable role in our ecosystem. They devour  tremendous quantities of insects, many of which are crop pests.

Bats are noctural animals. During the day they will nest in structures that offer small and dark hiding places – such as hollow trees, caves, mines, abandoned structures or under roofs. 

At night, bats leave their shelter to hunt. In a rather short amount of time, a colony can consume an extremely large amount of flying insects. 

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, bats are the primary host of rabies in our state. In the last 20 years, 98% of the animals that tested positive for the rabies virus were bats.

While this is an alarming statistic, only 1% of bats in their natural environment have rabies. 5-10% of bats with rabies will come in contact with people while exhibiting abnormal behavior. 

Concerning behavior could include, flying out of control, acting sick, inability to fly, or hanging out by themselves in the day time. If you notice any of these behaviors from bats near your home, leave the area and call animal removal immediately.

Bat Removal Professional

In Durango and surrounding areas, many of the older and mountain-style homes provide the perfect shelter for bats.

While these creatures are great to have around to keep mosquito populations under control, it is not great for you or the bat for it to be living under your roof. Bats can sometimes carry disease and the buildup of guano can eventually cause damage to your roof.

If you have bats in your structures, our certified bat removal professionals can help.

Capturing a bat or removing a colony should always be done by a trained professional. If you have any questions or need immediate assistance with a bat issue, do not hesitate to reach out to San Juan Wildlife. As with all of our services, we will make sure to remove the bats in a safe and humane manner.