How Do I Know If I Have Bat Bugs?

The first and primary place to start in determining if it’s bat bugs or simply bed bugs, is to inspect your home for the presence of bats. As easy as that sounds, bats actually burrow into your insulation, so finding them does not include just peaking into your attic. 

Wikipedia says that, “Bat bugs are blood-sucking insect parasites that feed primarily on the blood of bats.” Now as sweet as that sounds, the real issue is that these parasites can really hurt if you catch an infestation in your home. The males can live up to a year without food! 

Researchers have said that the most common area for these guys are unfortunately in the Mid-West area, so staying on top of any bat infestation is key in preventing bat bugs.

If a bat infestation has begun and you are in the process of removing them, be sure to look for signs of bat bugs in your sheets, carpet, clothes or on animals. A recent Colorado State University article rightly pointed out, “in the absence of the bat hosts, these insects cannot sustain and reproduce.” So eliminating the bats is a critical first step.

The best solution is a full attic restoration. This process can eliminate the problem once and for all. Our process is pretty simple: 

• Inspect the home for bats
• Install bat doors so that bats can leave and not re-enter 
• Remove all damaged insulation
• Clean attic walls, drywall, with deodorizer fog and antibacteria cleaner  
• Install new insulation
• Remove bat doors and seal all entry points 

Although this will take care of the root cause of the issue, you may still have some lingering pests around. If that is the case, the next step of the process is to call an exterminator to spray your home. Ehow suggest that you have them, “Treat bug infested areas with a pyrethroid insecticide such as, deltamethrin, bifenthrin and beta-cyfluthrin.”

What do bat bug bites look like?

When it comes to detecting Michigan bat bug bites, versus normal bed bugs, it is very difficult to tell the difference. You can scan through google images to see what you will find. But overall, when compared, the two are very similar.

For help in this process, contact us at 248.403.8167.