Signs You Have Bats in the Attic

What you hear

Bat noise is not the scurrying people associate with rodents. It is lighter, and it tends to be a scratching or a soft chittering that builds around dusk as the colony becomes active and again before dawn as it returns. Rodent activity by contrast runs through the night and includes gnawing, which bats do not do.

What you see

Droppings collect in a line directly below an active entry point rather than scattered across a space. Bat droppings crumble to a fine powder when dry and often contain visible insect fragments, which is the simplest way to tell them apart from rodent droppings, which stay firm.

Staining is the other reliable sign. Repeated body contact at an entry point leaves a dark greasy mark on the surrounding surface, and on a light coloured soffit or wall it is visible from the ground.

What you smell

An established colony produces a strong ammonia odor from accumulated urine and droppings. In Florida humidity that odor gets worse rather than drying out, and it will carry into the living space through ceiling penetrations and recessed lighting.