While bats are generally harmless, they can create the risk of significant damage around your home. Homeowners who suspect an infestation should schedule bat removal right away. Mitigating groupings and cleaning up their aftermath can protect your family from diseases, like rabies, while ensuring the home doesn’t incur damage from their droppings or chewing. If you might be dealing with these pests, consider the following guide to three bats that you may spot in Ohio.

A Guide to Bat Species in Ohio

Little Brown Bats

These tiny mammals, known as myotis lucifugus, weigh from 5 to 14 grams and have small, brown furry bodies and brown wings. They live in places where they can roost with a consistent temperature, so bat removal companies often take calls where this species is napping in attics, garage rafters, or other areas. Little brown bats eat insects and may live to the age of 30 in the wild. 

Big Brown Bats

Big brown bats, eptesicus fuscus, can weigh around 23 grams with 12-inch-long wingspans. These mammals have tannish, furry bellies, black ears and faces, and dark wings. These species use their teeth to eat bugs with hard exoskeletons, like beetles, as well as larger insects like moths, wasps, and flies. Big brown bats live an average of 19 years in the wild and can be found in holes in trees, storm sewers, houses, and outbuildings. These bats roost in groups and may leave behind large piles of droppings.

Eastern Red Bat

You may spot lasiurus borealis living in trees or shrubs around your home. This species is between 3.5 and 4.5 inches long with a 13-inch wingspan. The species has a reddish, golden tint and white shoulders that are easier for humans to spot at night than their darker cousins. These animals eat many insects, like leafhoppers, moths, ants, and flies. This species tends to live alone, often making it more difficult for homeowners to tell if they need bat removal. It’s challenging to spot a handful of droppings versus the many that a larger group of bats may leave behind.

If you’re interested in scheduling bat removal to address infestations in your home, contact Batman Enterprises, LLC, in Hamilton County, OH. The local company has served the Tri-State area for more than 20 years by safely and humanely removing bats. Visit their website or call this Cincinnati-area bat removal specialist at (513) 600-3079 for information on their additional offerings, including disinfection, bat dropping cleaning, and 24/7 emergency response.