Bat Pest Control in New Jersey

New Jersey state wildlife law governs the removal of bats from homes and businesses, permitting exclusion work during only a handful of months each year. Arnold’s provides bat pest control services across New Jersey within those legal timeframes, with lasting results.

If you have a bat problem, call us at (908) 276-8062 for a free estimate.

How to tell if bats are living in your home

Bat colonies are sneaky. They invade dark, undisturbed places like attics, wall voids and vents and fly out at dusk to hunt insects. Some homeowners go years without realizing bats are roosting above their heads.

Here is what to look for:

• Guano (bat droppings) piling up in attic corners, along walls, or underneath openings. The pellets are small, dark, and crumble when touched.
• A sharp ammonia odor coming from your attic or upper floors. That smell comes from urine and accumulated droppings.
• Scratching, shuffling, or faint fluttering sounds after dark, usually from walls or ceilings.
• Brown, greasy stains around roofline gaps, vents, or soffits: body oils left by bats squeezing through the same spot every night.
• Bats flying around your house at dusk, leaving from gaps in the roof or eaves.

Catch it early if you can. Colonies grow fast, and every extra month means more guano, more damage, and a bigger job to clean up.

The risks of bats in your home

Bats are actually excellent pest controllers themselves; one can eat over 1,000 insects in just one night, including mosquitoes. The issue is when they move into your house.

The biggest hazard they harbor is rabies. Although less than 1% of bats are infected, any contact with a bat requires prompt medical attention. Found a bat in the room where someone was sleeping, or a child had been? Call your local health department. Bat bites are very small, and people are rarely aware of being bitten.

There is also histoplasmosis, a fungal lung infection that lives off bat guano. Disturbing a heap of dry droppings releases spores into the surrounding air. Breathing them in is dangerous, and removal must be done with the correct protective gear.

Bat waste settles into insulation, drywall, and wood substructure, leaving stains, bad smells and rotting wood.

What New Jersey law says about bat pest control

All bat species in the state are protected by the Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act of New Jersey. It is illegal to kill, poison or trap them. Humane exclusion is the only permitted method of bat pest control, and this must only happen during certain times of the year.

Exclusion is permitted during two windows:

• April 1 through April 30: adult bats are present, but pups have not yet arrived.
• August 1 through October 15: the young are old enough to fly on their own.

May through July is completely off-limits as this is maternity season. Pups cannot fly for weeks, so sealing the roost during the early summer months traps the young inside, and they die. This is worse than the original problem and a violation of state law.

From mid-October through March, most NJ bats are hibernating or have left for winter roost sites. Exclusion work during this period risks sealing hibernating bats inside the building.

Our technicians know the law, and we time all exclusion work to fit within the permitted windows.

How Arnold’s removes bats safely

We have been doing this since 1952. Our approach is straightforward and complies with NJ law, and happens in 4 stages: 

Inspection. We examine the interior and exterior of your home in search of access points, roost sites, and evidence of colony size. Bats find their way inside through ridge vents, gable vents, gaps in the roofline, deteriorating fascia, and open soffits. 

Exclusion. One-way devices go over the entry points. Bats leave at night to feed and cannot re-enter. We leave the devices in place until the roost clears out. This is usually a matter of days, sometimes longer for bigger colonies.

Sealing. Every gap gets permanently closed. Bats squeeze through spaces as narrow as half an inch, so every gap must be sealed properly, or the colony returns as they are loyal to their roost sites.

Cleanu. We clear out guano and contaminated insulation, and sanitise affected areas. If left alone, the droppings attract other pests and continue degrading air quality.

Got bats in your property? Call Arnold’s at (908) 276-8062 or request your free estimate online.

Common questions about bat pest control in New Jersey

What does bat removal typically cost?

It all varies by the colony, the number of entry points, and whether cleanup work is needed. We provide free estimates so you know what to expect.

What is the right way to get rid of bats in NJ?

By professional exclusion. One-way devices let the bats leave before we seal every entry point to prevent re-entry. Mothballs, ultrasonic devices, and bright lights don’t work. The New Jersey Department of Health has made it clear: bat-proofing by exclusion is the only permanent fix.

Will a pest control company handle bats?

Yes. Arnold’s is licensed and trained in humane bat exclusion under NJ state regulations. Trapping and poisoning are illegal; exclusion is the only legal option.

Is there a way to keep bats from coming back for good?

Two things make it permanent: getting the current colony out through proper exclusion, and sealing every possible entry point afterwards. Bats are creatures of habit, so if access to a roost stays open, they come back.

Need bat removal in New Jersey?

Scratching noises in the attic, droppings turning up in odd places? These issues do not go away on their own. Arnold’s Pest Control has been helping New Jersey homeowners with bat removal and exclusion since 1952. Call (908) 276-8062 for a free estimate, or reach out to us online.