How to Stop Bats from Pooping on Porch?

If you’re living in areas where bats are a seasonal, if not persistent, problem, then you may be experiencing a sprinkle of guano, aka bat droppings, on your porch. 

If you want to find out how to stop bats from pooping on porches, we have some helpful tips.

The best way to stop bats from pooping on your porch is to find their roost, check your surroundings for things they like, and call animal control to remove any nearby roosts. If you live in a suburban or urban area, local authorities will assist you because bats are not supposed to be there.

Now, let’s begin the process of preventing bat poop on your porch.

Where Do Bats Come From?

Before we move on, let’s find out where the bats are coming from. Bats usually live in caves, but they can also live in any area that seems like a good place to roost.

Their habitats include but are not limited to trees, barns, attics, cracks in buildings, and any place that looks dark and cozy enough during the day. 

Other times, bats can be seen perching in trees as they hunt for food. 

Why Are Bats Pooping On My Porch?

The common reason why bats poop on your porch is that there is a nearby food source, or they’ve roosted somewhere near or inside your house.

Another reason why bats may be hanging out near your porch and making it their personal toilet is because of the insects surrounding your home.

Bats tend to poop on porches because they decide to perch on top of the porch as they eat and digest the food they just ate. 

To find out which is the main reason, here are some things you can do:

Check your house from top to bottom during the daytime

Bats love roosting in attics. But they can also roost under deep awnings and even under your house. 

When checking for bats, make sure you wear protective gear so you won’t get bit. If a bat bites you, call 911 and ask for medical assistance.

Bats can carry a variety of diseases and rabies is the most common.

Check to see if there are any fruit trees around

You never know who’s planted a fruit tree nearby. If it’s yours, cover up the fruits and spray aromatic bat repellents like Mighty Mint that are safe for fruits. These are usually made up of essential oils and carrier oils.

Make sure that your trash bins and composts are covered

Bats may end up swooping down to grab any food leftover or spilling from your trash bin.

Always seal your trash bags and close the lid on your bins. Clean up any food debris that has fallen out as well.

If you have a vegetable garden, look for signs of poaching

Signs of poaching include vegetables that have bite marks or signs that the vegetables have been pulled away.

For example, your tomato plant may look like someone plucked a piece without a care. Bats are known to grab food quickly.

How To Stop Bats from Pooping on Porch

Keeping bats away can be tricky because you never know when they’ll come. 

Bats use echolocation to find their way around, so they usually show up when everything is quiet. This means they will likely show up when you’re sleeping.

I have two types of methods that will work to keep these bats away during the day and while you sleep:

Step 1: Remove Bats from the Premises

If you successfully found the main reason bats are hanging out near your porch and turning it into their toilet, here are some things you can do to permanently prevent them from returning.

Find their roost

The best way to get rid of bats is to relocate them. You cannot do it on your own so it is best that you call animal control so they can safely and humanely transfer the bats to a better habitat.

Animal control will have the means to transfer the bats while allowing them to adapt to a new environment.

Find their source of food

If their source of food is within your property, the best way to prevent them from coming back is to remove the source. 

You do this by covering trash bins and sealing them properly. Clean the yard and pick up any food scraps or food wrappers that they may find appealing.

If you have a vegetable garden, cover it with a sturdy and weighted plant protector. If you have a fruit tree, you can also wrap your fruit in mesh nets. 

They will move on once they no longer have access to their usual food source.

If their main food source is insects around your area, use natural or chemical repellents for mosquitoes and other non-beneficial insects. 

There are specific repellents that only target the types of insects that bats eat. Take a look at your local wildlife website to find out which insects or prey are endemic to your neighborhood or city.

If you can’t find a source, call animal control

It’s possible that the roost is not near your property, nor are there any food sources within the vicinity of your house.

Bats may simply be pooping there because they’re on their way to the food source. Bats will follow a path back to their roost based on what they hear. 

The best way to prevent any more accidents on your porch is to report the problem to animal control so they can have experts find the roost that is causing a nuisance to the neighborhood.

Now, moving on to the second method.

Step 2: Prevent Bats from Coming Back

While you wait for the removal of the bats, you can take steps to prevent them from continuously making a mess on your porch. There are various ways to do this, but these are the most effective:

Motion sensor lights

Since bats may be active while you are sleeping, you can install motion sensor lights that are pointed upwards. 

Bats dislike bright lights, so a beam of light will definitely prevent them from going anywhere near your porch.

Get the kind of motion sensors with a longer range to catch bats in flight. Ensure that the lights are not pointing at any neighbor’s house to prevent any inconvenience to others.

Motion sensor sounds

Bats use echolocation and are sensitive to ultrasonic sounds. There are available bat-repelling sound devices on the market, but it would be good to have one that also activates at night when the bats pass by it. 

Add nets to points of entry

Bats can squeeze into the tiniest crevices, which is why they like living in small caves and cracks in buildings. 

To prevent them from roosting in your home, add nets to windows, vents, and other points of entry. 

This will ensure that no bats can come in and create a home inside yours. Don’t forget the underside of your house as well.

Use aromatic repellents

Bats find non-living food using their sense of smell.

You can prevent bats from going near your house by adding aromatic plants like sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme, citronella, and more. The best part is that you get to have a herb garden. 

A quick tip: Put them in hanging baskets over your porch so the smell dissipates at a higher level.

Buy bat repellents

There are a lot of bar-repelling devices and products on the market. These can include ultrasonic sound devices, bat sprays, lights, etc. Guess you’re not the only one who has a bat poop problem.

No products found.

When looking for a bat repellent, take the time to find honest reviews and purchase items that have a return policy. This way, you can test the products that work the best.

Frequently Asked Questions

What smells do bats hate?

Bats hate strong herbal smells, but the most effective scents that deter them are cinnamon, eucalyptus, and peppermint.

Does vinegar repel bats?

Yes. They are usually placed in a container near roosts so that bats will relocate to another area.

Can mothballs keep bats away?

No. While the smell of mothballs is not pleasing to any nose, bats don’t mind them as much as they do the other scents such as cinnamon, peppermint, and eucalyptus.

Conclusion

As long as you follow the advice above, you can ensure that your bat poop problem will be resolved as soon as possible. 

While relocating them may take some time, some services can do it quickly, safely, and humanely. 

In the meantime, we hope the other methods are effective in giving you a clean yard and porch for a very long time.