Bat Removal & Exclusion in Passaic, NJ

A bat is flying in the house: what to do now

A bat indoors is scary, but it isn't attacking you. It's lost and trying to find air and an exit. Stay calm and work through this list:

1. Don't swat at it or try to catch it bare-handed. Bats rarely bite unless they're handled.
2. Get kids and pets out and close the door to the room the bat is in. Put a towel along the bottom of the door.
3. Think about who was in that room before you do anything else (see the next section).
4. If nobody was exposed, open a window or outside door in that room, turn the lights off, and wait quietly outside the room. Many bats find their way out within an hour.
5. If it lands and stays put, or you can't tell if it left, call or text us at 973-510-2585.

One bat in the living space is often a sign that others are roosting in the attic or walls, especially if it happens more than once. That's worth an inspection even after the bat is gone.

Are we "near me"? Where we come from

Straight answer: Silver Bullet Pest Control is based in Garfield, NJ. Our regular service area is Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties. The closer you are to Garfield — Lodi, Elmwood Park, Wallington, Passaic, Clifton, Saddle Brook, Hackensack — the easier a same-day visit usually is.

• Bergen and Passaic towns: most emergency bat calls, same-day often available.
• Essex and Hudson towns: covered regularly, same-day often available depending on the day's schedule.
• Morris and Union towns: we serve them too, but they're farther, so visits are usually scheduled ahead. Same-day is sometimes possible.

Many towns have their own page: Clifton, Elmwood Park, Hackensack, Lodi, Passaic and Saddle Brook. Not sure if we cover your street? Call or text and ask.

New Jersey's bat exclusion calendar

Getting one bat out of your living space can happen any time of year. Shutting a colony out of a building cannot — the dates protect bats and their young:

It's November now, which means a colony exclusion needs a survey first. Calling now still matters: we can inspect, handle any bat in the living space, and plan the seal for the right window. Our licensed bat exclusion page has more.

Bats in winter and why we do acoustic surveys

People are often surprised to find a bat in the house in December or February. In New Jersey, some bats — big brown bats especially — spend the winter tucked into attics and walls. A warm spell or a heated room can wake one up, and it wanders toward the warmth and ends up in the living space.

Because hibernating bats can't survive being shut out in the cold, New Jersey only allows exclusion between October 16 and March 31 after an acoustic survey shows no bats are present. We do these surveys ourselves: a detector picks up the high-pitched calls bats use to navigate, which tells us whether they are coming and going from the building.

• No bats detected: we can seal the house now, instead of waiting for spring.
• Bats detected: we keep them out of your living space, seal interior gaps, and schedule the exclusion for April or August.

Bat myths that cause problems