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If you’re hearing bat activity in your attic during late spring or summer, the timing can be frustrating. In Texas, May through July is bat maternity season, which means full bat removal or exclusion is usually delayed for both biological and legal reasons. Understanding why helps homeowners avoid bigger problems and protect their homes the right way.
Why Summer Is a No-Exclusion Period
Several bat species commonly found in Texas homes, especially Mexican free-tailed bats and big brown bats, follow a seasonal reproductive cycle. In spring, females form maternity colonies and seek warm, protected spaces to raise their young. Attics, soffits, rooflines, barns, and wall voids provide the stable temperatures and shelter they need.
Bats give birth once a year, typically between May and early July. For weeks after birth, the pups cannot fly and depend entirely on their mothers for food and warmth. During this time, adult bats leave the roost at night to feed and return to care for their young.
If entry points are sealed or one-way devices are installed during this period, adult bats may be blocked out while pups remain inside. This creates serious problems, including increased odors, expanded activity in walls or ceilings, and the need for more extensive cleanup later. For this reason, reputable professionals avoid full exclusions during maternity season.
Bats Are Protected Wildlife in Texas
Bats are classified as nongame wildlife in Texas, and guidance from Texas Parks and Wildlife strongly discourages disturbing maternity colonies. While homeowners are allowed to protect their property, actions that trap, poison, or harm bats, especially during maternity season, can be inhumane and may create legal and structural issues.
Bats are not treated like rodents or insects. Methods such as pesticides, fumigation, or sealing bats inside structures are inappropriate and often lead to bigger, more costly problems.
Why Bat Exclusion Is Different From Pest Control
True bat control relies on humane exclusion, not extermination. Exclusion allows bats to leave on their own and prevents them from re-entering without harming them. A proper exclusion involves sealing secondary gaps, installing one-way exit devices over primary openings, monitoring activity, and permanently sealing the structure once bats have left.
This process only works when bats are actively flying, which is another reason timing matters. A company offering instant bat removal in June is not following proper exclusion practices.
What Homeowners Can Do During Maternity Season
Even if full exclusion must wait, there are safe steps you can take right now.
First, determine whether you’re dealing with a single bat or a colony. Colonies often leave signs like guano piles near entry points, staining along rooflines, or consistent noise at dusk and dawn.
Next, focus on keeping bats out of living areas. Weatherstrip attic access points, seal gaps between attics and living spaces, keep interior doors closed at night, and upgrade HVAC filters if needed. These measures help protect your household while leaving exterior exits open.
Avoid disturbing guano without proper protection, and do not attempt DIY removal methods that could spread dust or push bats into new areas of the home.
What to Avoid Between May and July
During maternity season, homeowners should avoid sealing exterior openings, using pesticides or foggers, trying to scare bats out, or starting major attic work. These actions often cause bats to relocate within the structure, increasing nuisance issues rather than solving them.
When Full Bat Exclusion Is Safe
In much of North Texas, including the Richardson area, the safe window for full bat exclusion typically opens in early August, once pups are flying independently. Late summer and fall are often ideal times for humane exclusion, as bats reliably leave the roost at night.
Humane Bat Help in North Texas
If you suspect bats in your attic during maternity season, the best approach is to stabilize the situation now and plan exclusion for the proper time. At 911 Wildlife, we focus on humane, efficient solutions that protect your home without shortcuts.
Our team can inspect your property, help secure living spaces, and create a clear plan for legal, long-term bat exclusion. If you’re hearing activity overhead or noticing signs near your roofline, contact us to get answers and protect your home the right way.