Bat removal in St. Petersburg, FL
Bat removal in St. Petersburg, FL is a matter of timing and the right one-way devices. Critter Guys excludes bats from tile roofs, attics and building joints without harming them, then seals the gaps they used.
- Never harms the bats
- Booked outside pup season
- Guano removal and sanitizing
Seeing bats at dusk? Ask us
Tell us what you are hearing or seeing. We will get back to you, set up a visit and give you a straight answer on what it takes.
- Firm quote before any work starts
- Call, text or email, your pick
- Licensed and insured in Florida
Quick answer. Critter Guys does bat removal in St. Petersburg, FL by exclusion. We locate the roost and every crack the colony uses, fit one-way tubes or netting on the main exits, and wait until the last bat has flown out to feed before sealing the building for good. Bats are protected in Florida, so no work happens between April 15 and August 14. Call or text (321) 203-6963 to book a bat inspection in St. Petersburg.
Bat exclusion runs on a calendar in Florida
Mid-April to mid-August is pup season. Young bats can’t fly then, so FWC rules put exclusion off limits from April 15 to August 14. Call us during those months anyway: we’ll inspect, map the gaps and hold your spot for the first open week.
Why bat removal is really bat exclusion
You can’t trap bats, and you shouldn’t try to chase them out with lights, foam or a broom. Florida’s bats are protected and they eat a huge number of insects, so the legal and humane way to remove them is exclusion. We let the colony leave on its own and make sure it can’t get back in.
In St. Petersburg the bats we find in buildings are mostly Brazilian free-tailed bats, with evening bats in some spots. Free-tails in particular like tight, warm crevices, and a colony can grow for years in one roof before anyone notices more than a few dark streaks by a vent.
Every gap matters
A bat can squeeze through an opening about the width of your thumb. If we put a one-way device on the main exit but miss three smaller gaps, the colony just shifts. That’s why the inspection covers the whole building, not only where you saw them fly.
A few recent calls
Tile roofs, waterfront air and St. Pete bats
St. Petersburg has a lot of what bats like. The Mediterranean Revival houses in the Old Northeast, Snell Isle and Allendale often have barrel tile roofs with open ends at the eave, and those hollow tiles make good roosts. Older wood homes in Kenwood and Roser Park can have gaps behind the fascia and around attic louvers. Downtown and along the bay, condo and commercial buildings have expansion joints and soffits that colonies move into.
The water helps too. Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay, Lake Maggiore and the city’s ponds and bayous all produce insects at dusk, so bats roosting in town don’t have to travel far to feed. For other animals using the same rooflines, see our St. Petersburg wildlife control page.
St. Petersburg field notes
- Barrel tile roofs on historic homes
- Bayfront condo and office buildings
- Insect-rich water on three sides
- Pinellas County, Tampa Bay
Bat jobs we’ve done around St. Pete
4.9
141 reviews on Google
★★★★★
Josh from the Critter Guys did an excellent job explaining the process for removal of bats. He emphasized the humane aspect by coming back several times to ensure that all the bats were no longer on our property. He then sealed all opening to our soffit and removed the bat trap. Josh went beyond what we expected. When we called to provide updates he always answered and listened to us. I highly recommend this company and a huge shout-out to Josh. Thank you Critter Guys Humane wildlife services for a job well done.
Joe RaspantiGoogle review
★★★★★
Kevin was extremely knowledgeable and kind. I 100% recommend him and the company.
Kareem JohnnyGoogle review
★★★★★
Nelson was professional and knowledgeable. We will call Critter Guys again.
Libbi BoerschigGoogle review
Read every review on Google or see more Critter Guys reviews
How St. Pete owners usually discover bats
Bats are quiet, so most people find them by what they leave behind or by watching the roof at sunset.
A line of bats leaving at sunset
Sit outside around dusk with a view of the eaves. If small dark shapes keep dropping out of the same tile end or vent, you’ve found the roost.
Crumbly droppings on sills and lanai
Bat droppings resemble mouse pellets, but pinch one and it falls apart into glittery insect bits. They collect on window ledges, the lanai floor or the driveway right under the entry.
Greasy marks at a crack
Body oils leave a dark smudge where bats squeeze in and out, often at a fascia gap or tile edge.
Faint chatter before dawn
A colony makes a thin, high squeaking in the walls, mostly at dusk and again in the early morning as the bats come home.
A bat in a bedroom
One bat in a bedroom can mean a colony in the attic has found a way down. Don’t touch it with bare hands.
Getting the colony out of a St. Pete roof
Once the calendar allows it, here’s the sequence on a typical St. Petersburg home or building.
Inspect and identify
We find the roost, the exits and every other crack on the building, and confirm it’s bats. Then we quote the exclusion.
Close the minor gaps
Openings the colony isn’t using as main exits get sealed first, which funnels the bats toward a few doors we control.
Fit the one-way exits
Tubes or netting go over those main doors. The bats head out to hunt over the bay and can’t find a way back in, and we leave the devices up for several nights.
Seal and clean
With the roost empty, the devices come down and the final openings are closed. Guano in the attic can then be cleaned out by our attic cleanup crew in St. Pete.
Bat removal around Pinellas County
St. Petersburg wildlife services beyond bats
St. Petersburg bat removal questions, answered
Have a question that isn’t here? Call or text (321) 203-6963 and we’ll help.
Can I legally get bats out of my St. Petersburg house?
Yes, through exclusion and only outside pup season, which runs April 15 to August 14. Killing bats or trapping them inside a wall isn’t allowed in Florida. We handle all bat work under FWC rules.
What will bat removal cost for my St. Pete home?
We price it after the inspection. The main factors are the building’s size, the number of cracks to seal, how tall and steep the roof is (tile takes longer) and whether there’s guano to remove.
Is bat guano in my attic a health risk?
It can be. Old, dry guano may hold the fungus behind histoplasmosis, a lung infection that comes from breathing dust off disturbed droppings. Leave it alone; it should come out with protective gear and the area should be sanitized.
There’s a bat flying around inside. What now?
Close the interior doors, keep kids and pets out, and open a window or outside door so it has an exit. Never handle it bare-handed. If anyone might have been bitten or touched, contact your doctor or the county health department, since bats can carry rabies.
Can you do bat exclusion on a condo or office building?
Yes. We work on commercial buildings, condos and HOA properties as well as homes. Larger buildings take more inspection time because bats can use expansion joints and roof flashing all around the structure.
We found bats in June. What can we do now?
We can inspect and plan the job right away so it’s ready to go after August 14. In the meantime, keep any bats out of the living space by sealing interior gaps like attic hatches and gaps around ceiling fixtures.
Plan your St. Pete bat exclusion
Call or text (321) 203-6963 or send the form, and we’ll check the roof and set up the timing. Read more on our main bat removal page or about sealing roof gaps.