Silver Bullet Pest ControlSqueaking in the attic at dusk, dark droppings under a gable vent, or a bat flying around the bedroom? Silver Bullet Pest Control removes bats from Hawthorne homes the humane way: the bats leave on their own through one-way exits, then we seal the house so they can't get back in. No killing, no trapping in the walls.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • Licensed by NJ Fish & Wildlife • 15+ years • Hablamos español
Found one bat inside the living space? Text a photo to 973-510-2585 and we'll tell you what to do next.
Humane bat removal in Hawthorne, NJ means letting the bats fly out on their own through one-way exit devices, then sealing every gap so they can't return, without harming them. In New Jersey this exclusion is only allowed at certain times of year, and from mid-October through March it needs an acoustic survey first to show no bats are inside. Silver Bullet Pest Control is licensed by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife work; call or text 973-510-2585 for a free quote.
Shut the bat into one room and keep kids and pets out. Don't chase it or swat at it.
If the bat was in a room with someone sleeping, a small child or a pet, don't let it go. Call your local health department about rabies testing.
Bats rarely bite, but a bite can be too small to notice. Thick gloves only, or wait for help.
One bat inside often means more in the attic or walls. We find how it got in and plan the exclusion.
Need help fast? See our emergency bat removal service page.
Hawthorne is a borough of mostly single-family homes, many of them older Cape Cods and colonials with wood siding, gable vents, attic louvers and chimneys. As houses age, gaps open up where the roof meets the siding, around fascia boards and at vent screens. A bat needs a gap only about the width of your thumb to get in.
The town also gives bats what they need outside: the Passaic River close by, Goffle Brook and the long green strip of Goffle Brook Park, and plenty of mature trees. Water means insects, and insects mean bats. On summer evenings you'll often see them feeding over the brook and backyards, which is normal and harmless. The problem starts when a colony moves into the attic, a wall void or behind a shutter.
Big brown bats are the species we most often find living in North Jersey houses. They can stay in a heated attic or wall through winter, which is why some Hawthorne homeowners first notice a bat in the house in January or February.
| What you notice | What it usually means | How urgent |
|---|---|---|
| Squeaking or rustling at dusk or dawn | Bats leaving or returning to a roost | Call for an inspection |
| Dark, crumbly droppings under a vent or on the attic floor | Guano piling up where bats roost | Don't sweep it; keep people out of the attic |
| Brown smudge marks around a gap | Body oil from bats squeezing in and out | Shows the entry point we'll need to seal |
| A bat in a bedroom or living room | A colony may be in the walls or attic | Same day if anyone was sleeping in that room |
| A strong ammonia smell in the attic | A large or long-term colony | Plan exclusion plus cleanup |
Bat droppings crumble into dust when pressed; mouse droppings stay hard. Not sure which you have? Text us a photo.
Timing matters more with bats than with any other animal we remove. Here is how the year works:
| Time of year | Can bats be excluded? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| April 1 – April 30 | Yes | Bats are active and no pups have been born yet |
| May 1 – July 31 | No | Pups can't fly yet; sealing the house would trap them inside |
| August 1 – October 15 | Yes | Young bats can fly and leave with the colony |
| October 16 – March 31 | Only after an acoustic survey shows no bats | Bats may be hibernating inside and couldn't safely leave |
Right now, in early November, a Hawthorne attic can be sealed only after an acoustic survey shows no bats are present. We do those surveys ourselves. If bats are still there, we plan the exclusion for the next open window and handle any bat that gets into the living space in the meantime.
Roof line, gable vents, chimney, soffits, fascia, siding seams and the attic itself. We look for the smudge marks and droppings that show the active exits.
Every gap that isn't a main exit gets sealed with materials that last, so the bats have only a few ways out.
At the main exits we fit devices that let bats fly out at night but not get back in. The bats leave on their own and nobody gets hurt.
Once the bats are gone, the exit devices come off and those last openings are sealed for good.
For a deeper look at the method, see our licensed bat exclusion page, or read about a bat colony in the attic.
Bat droppings can carry a fungus that causes the lung infection histoplasmosis when the dust is breathed in. We remove guano with HEPA equipment and protective gear, then treat the area for odor.
When the insulation is too contaminated to save, we remove it and put new insulation back ourselves, so you deal with one company from start to finish.
The same seals that keep bats out also stop squirrels, birds and mice, which is why exclusion is the part of the job that lasts.
Sealing an entry while bats are inside traps them. They die in the walls, smell, or find a way into the living space.
Ultrasonic devices, lights and mothballs don't make a colony move out for good.
Most bat entries are high on the roof line. We bring the ladders and the experience.
A licensed wildlife company knows when exclusion is allowed and when a survey is needed first.
Bats are protected and eat a huge number of insects every night. The goal is to move them out of your house, not to hurt them.
Every house is different, so we give a free quote after the inspection. These are the things that change it:
| Factor | Simpler job | Bigger job |
|---|---|---|
| Size of the colony | A few bats, one entry | A large colony with several exits |
| The house | One-story roof, easy access | Tall gables, steep roof, slate or tile |
| Number of gaps | A couple of vent or fascia gaps | Gaps all along the roof line and chimney |
| Season | Inside an open exclusion window | Winter, when an acoustic survey is needed first |
| Cleanup | A little guano on the attic floor | Guano through the insulation, odor, replacement needed |
Call or text 973-510-2585 with what you're seeing. A photo of the droppings or the gap helps.
Tell us what you're hearing or seeing, and send a photo if you can. We'll explain whether your house can be excluded now or needs a survey first.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
Yes. In a humane exclusion the bats fly out on their own through one-way devices at night and simply can't get back in. Nobody traps, poisons or handles them. They find a new roost outdoors, often a tree or bat house, and keep eating mosquitoes and moths around Hawthorne, which is exactly what you want them doing.
Sometimes. From October 16 through March 31, bats can only be excluded after an acoustic survey shows no bats are inside, because hibernating bats can't safely leave. We do those surveys ourselves. If bats are present, we plan the exclusion for spring and help with any bat that ends up in the living space.
Because the pups can't fly yet. From May 1 through July 31, sealing a house would trap baby bats inside, where they would die and leave the adults trying to get back in through new gaps. Exclusion opens again on August 1, once the young can fly out with the colony.
Keep the bat, don't release it. Close it in the room, and call the local health department about rabies testing, because a bite can be too small to feel. Ask your doctor for advice too. Once the people are taken care of, we can find out how the bat got in and seal the house.
Through gaps as small as about the width of your thumb. In Hawthorne we usually find them at gable vents, loose fascia boards, gaps where the roof meets the siding, around chimneys and behind shutters. Brown smudge marks and droppings below a gap are the giveaway.
The inspection and sealing of the small gaps usually take a day or so. The one-way exits then stay up for several nights so every bat has time to leave. Once the house is clear, we come back to remove the devices and seal the last openings for good.
They can be. Old guano can carry the fungus that causes histoplasmosis, a lung infection spread by breathing the dust. Don't sweep, vacuum or disturb piles of droppings yourself. We clean guano with HEPA equipment and protective gear and treat the attic for odor afterward.
Yes. When droppings have soaked into the insulation, we remove it and install new insulation ourselves. That way the bat exclusion, the cleanup and the attic restoration are all done by one company, and you don't have to schedule a separate contractor.
Yes. We're based in Garfield and serve all of Passaic County, including Hawthorne, along with Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties. Same-day appointments are often available when a bat is in the living space. Call or text 973-510-2585.
Sí, hablamos español. Si tiene murciélagos en el ático o un murciélago dentro de la casa en Hawthorne, llame o mande un texto al 973-510-2585 y le explicamos qué hacer y cuándo se puede hacer la exclusión.
From our base in Garfield we cover Hawthorne and the towns around it.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
