Bat removal delays due to state regulations

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It’s a problem that occurs every summer as homeowners grapple with bats that inhabit their homes. Wildlife experts are seeing more and more calls for safe removal, but depending on where the bats are, you may have to wait another month to get rid of them.

What you need to know

Homeowners like Ashley Perry often encounter bats inhabiting their homes during the summer.

Wildlife expert Bob Witzel, known as “Batman,” explains that bat removal is prohibited from May 15 to August 15

Once the young bats reach maturity, experts use one-way systems to expel them and seal entry points to prevent them from returning

Ashley Perry is expecting her first child, but her excitement has recently been overshadowed by a more pressing matter.

“I noticed about three weeks ago when I was walking my dog, I saw a dark spot, so I looked over there and saw bats flying into the chimney,” Ashley Perry said.

One morning, Ashley recorded a video on her cell phone of bats flying into the backyard of her house. Bats can pose a health risk, especially to pregnant women, so Ashley asked for help from expert “The Batman.”

“There are bats coming out of this side of the chimney. You can see how it’s separated from the side of the house. So it all has to be sealed,” said wildlife expert Bob Witzel.

No problem for Bob Witzel, but he likes to be called “Batman.” Bob has been in the conservation industry for over 20 years, and his specialty is bats.

“First of all, they’re not the evil, nasty creatures that people make them out to be. You still don’t want them living with you because their feces have been linked to health issues, rabies and other diseases,” Witzel added.

“Batman” says that young bats are born in the summer and can’t fly yet. New York state law prohibits the removal of bats from May 15 to August 15 to protect nursing mother bats.

“We can’t work until the kids are old enough to come out. And once they’re old enough, everything will be closed. One-way systems are working, everyone comes out,” Witzel said.

The one-way system prevents bats from returning if there are no other entry points. Given the bat population in New York State, patrons will call “The Batman” for help.

“When we can finally get going in mid- to late August, we’ll have a lot of backlog to deal with before the snow flies,” Witzel said.

Once the bats are released from Ashley’s home in August, construction workers will make repairs to keep her and her baby safe.

“I’m 36 weeks pregnant, so we’re going to be looking for a temporary place to stay with the newborn,” Perry said.

“Batman” also mentioned that young brown and black bats are more commonly seen in upstate New York.