Bat Removal and Exclusion in Lakeland
How bats get into Lakeland homes
Bats do not chew their way in. They find a gap that already exists and squeeze through it, and most adults can pass through an opening around three eighths of an inch. In Lakeland the usual entry points are the gaps where a soffit meets the roof line, the open ends of barrel tile, ridge and gable vents with failed screening, and the settled joints on older wood framed homes in the historic districts.
Because the city is built around its lakes and keeps a heavy live oak canopy, insect activity stays high through the warm months. That gives a colony a reliable food supply within a short flight of the roost, which is why an attic that has been used once tends to be used again unless the building is sealed properly.
What exclusion actually involves
Exclusion is not trapping and it is not extermination. Every potential entry point on the structure is sealed except the ones the colony is actively using. One way doors are then fitted to those remaining openings so bats can leave to feed but cannot get back in. After the colony has cleared, the doors come off and those last openings are sealed permanently.
The devices stay up for several nights, and the work is planned around the weather because bats will not reliably leave the roost on cold nights. Florida guidance calls for leaving exclusion devices in place at least four nights with forecast overnight lows of at least fifty degrees.
The legal season in Florida
Florida protects its bats, and exclusion without appropriate authorization is not permitted between April 16 and August 14 while pups are still flightless. April 15 is the last day exclusion can be carried out without a permit, and the unpermitted window reopens on August 15.
Sealing an occupied entry point during that closed period traps adults and pups inside the structure, which is both unlawful and a far worse problem for the building. If you call during the closed season the visit is used to inspect, identify the entry points and quote the work so it can be scheduled the moment the window opens.