Are there bats in Alaska? Yes, there sure are and there are a lot of them, especially around the lakes and rivers of Alaska. Many are not aware that there are bats in Alaska. Bats serve an important ecological function in Alaska, however it is important to remove them from your home or business where that can cause health issues and property damage.

There are health risks involved in having bats living in your attic. They often transmit diseases like rabies and histoplasmosis through their droppings. Bat guano (droppings) also produce a pungent ammonia smell that can seep into your living space. Also, bats crawling around around at night have been know to keep people from enjoying a good night’s sleep.

There are seven known species of bats in Alaska: Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), Keen’s myotis (Myotis keenii), California myotis (Myotis californicus), Long-legged myotis (Myotis volans), Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), and Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis). The little brown bat being the most common bat in Alaska and have an average lifespan of 20-30 years. Bats in Alaska usually hibernate between September-May due to lack of insects during the long winter and roost in buildings and rock crevices to stay out of harsh conditions. Bats however do not enter a deep hibernation, but commonly forage for hatching aquatic insects during the winter before returning to hibernation. During the summer, bats commonly roost in warm places like attics to form nursing colonies. Bats are commonly found in forested areas in Alaska and not in the tundra or Aleutian Islands. Bats commonly hunt aquatic-based insects including mosquitos near bodies of water, but they can also live away from water if there is plenty of other insects. Bats in Alaska have a very effective role on the overall insect population around their roost.

How do you know if you have bats in your Alaska home? Do you often hear scratching sounds coming out of the attic? Do you see dropping on the side of your home or business? If you are not sure what may be living in your attic, call a professional like Varmint Gone Anchorage to inspection your home or business. Bats can enter your home through the ridge vents, fireplaces and any other crawl spaces around your roof. They often deposit a lot of dropping and urine resulting in a strong ammonia smell so it is important not to just remove them but decontaminate the affected area.

Effectively removing bats yourself can be challenging; it is best to look into the services of a professional bat removal specialists. Call Varmint Gone Anchorage to schedule an inspection to provide a solution for your bat issue. Varmint Gone Anchorage services not only Anchorage, Mat-Su Valley, and Kenai Peninsula but also remote areas of Alaska. Varmint Gone Anchorage can install bat houses on your property, exclude bats your property buildings using only humane methods and remove bat guano from contaminated areas. Call Varmint Gone Anchorage at 907-885-0565 today!