What are Bat Bugs

Bat Removal Austin

Bat bugs, like their counterpart bed bugs, are blood-sucking insects that feed on bats, birds, humans and any other warm-blooded mammals they come across. The bat bug is a very close relative of the bed bug. The two species look so much alike that you need a microscope to tell them apart, the major difference between the two being a small fringe of hair. Bat bugs used to inhabit Maryland homes long before bed bugs became reintroduced to the U.S. In the 1990’s.

Bat bugs are common in the Midwest and are found in homes and buildings infested with bats. Bat bugs tend to stay close to the location of roosting bats, but once the bats are gone, they can find their way into buildings and start feeding on people. The Big Brown Bat and the Little Brown Bat are particularly guilty of spreading bat bugs because they roost in large numbers and are the two most common bat species in Maryland. Typically, bats do not host bed bugs, even though the two species are so similar.

Bat bugs feed on the blood of bats but once bats are gone they may find a human or other animal host and the feeding will continue. While extremely bothersome, bat bugs are not known to transmit disease to animals or people. Without a food source the adult male bat bug can still survive up to a year which makes the bat bug a pest that is very difficult to remove.

Infested sites must be effectively treated by a professional pest control company in order to eliminate bat bugs, and the first step in bat bug control is always bat removal. If you’re having bat bug issues, give us a call today.

More info - http://www.midatlanticwildlifecontrol.com/what-are-bat-bugs/