How do you keep bats out of your chimney?
James Craig
Published Jan 19, 2026
To deter bats from roosting in the chimney, a variety of methods can be helpful:
- Exclusion tubes - This device is a one-way exit, allowing bats in the chimney to leave but not to return.
- Mesh screens - Placing wire mesh over a chimney keeps bats out, though it is important to avoid trapping any animals inside.
How do you get rid of bats in chimney?
The most effective way to remove bats in the chimney is to hire a professional to perform the “live exclusion” method. In short, this method includes using specific devices that guide the flying mammals to a one-way door that allows them to exit the structure freely.
What will repel bats?
Bats don't like the smell of mothballs, white phenol, cinnamon, or eucalyptus. Install bright lights to help deter them. Bats also don't like objects that reflect light, so you can hang strips of aluminum foil, mirrors, mylar balloons, or even old CDs.
What scent gets rid of bats?
Like many other pests, bats hate the smell of mint, peppermint specifically. By using peppermint, spearmint, or other mint-based oils you can be sure to avoid harming the bats while also effectively keeping them at bay.
Can you smoke bats out?
Problems With Smoking Bats Out
DIY bat removal strategies aren't a good idea. While you may be frustrated enough to take matters into your own hands, there are three main problems with trying to remove bats by yourself, particularly by smoking them out of your chimney: It's inhumane. It's ineffective.
22 related questions foundWill bats come down a chimney?
Colonies of bats like to live in caves because they provide shelter and are a great place for bats to hang upside down. For these very reasons, bats will seek out similar areas of your home such as your chimney. Colonies of bats can also be found in fireplaces, walls, attics, garage rafters, barn lofts and more.
Will a chimney cap keep bats out?
Chimney caps are an easy fix to prevent bats and other forms of wildlife from gaining entry into your home. While many people use wire mesh to seal holes, other wildlife like squirrels and mice can chew through wire mesh. Galvanized steel is the best option for closing up openings around chimneys.
Do mothballs repel bats?
Common Bat Repellents
Somewhere along the way, mothballs became associated with bat prevention. The smell of naphthalene, the active ingredient in mothballs, is disliked by the pests. However, using them to keep bats away is impractical.
Does cinnamon repel bats?
Cinnamon has a strong fragrance that bats cannot stand and so if placed near their roosts may irritate into leaving. Peppermint is an aromatic herb that irritates bats. Placing either leaf or oil close to the bats' entry and exit points is bound to make the bats leave the house.
How do you poison bats?
Bats are not insects. There are no registered or manufactured poisons designed to kill bats. If you do use an insecticide, like tenting your house for bats, not all of them will die. Many will crawl down the walls and find their way into the house.
How do you make cinnamon spray for bats?
Mix powdered cinnamon with water in a spray bottle and spray any area of your home you have noticed bat activity. You can continue to do this as often as needed, however we should note that this method will likely need to be used with other methods of bat removal.
Are there sounds that repel bats?
Yes. An ultrasonic bat repellent can emit sound waves that can pass through walls and ceilings. This is why you need to get a long-range device, like the one we recommended. Ultrasonic bat repellents use both ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves.
How do you use peppermint oil to repel bats?
How to make the bat repellent:
- Add 3 cups of water to the pot.
- Bring the water to boiling.
- Add 1 capful of peppermint oil.
- Stir for 3 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle, depending on how much volume your spray bottle can hold.
What time of year do chimney swifts nest?
In late April or early May, both male and female swifts start to build their nests in dark, sheltered locations like chimneys, old wells, air shafts, and sometimes barns or attics. The half-saucer shaped nest is made of twigs and attached to the inside wall of the chimney with the bird's glutinous saliva.
What is in bat poop?
Guano (Spanish from Quechua: wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds and bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to its exceptionally high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium: key nutrients essential for plant growth.
Does ammonia keep bats away?
Ammonia has been used for years as a way to both remove bats and keep them away. The vapors of ammonia are toxic, and it isn't safe for the bats to stick around as the vapors fill the air. Unfortunately, ammonia is not an effective enough form of bat repellent for anything other than a temporary solution.
Will Bright lights get rid of bats?
Bright Lights as Deterrents
If you want to implement a practice to deter bats, putting up bright lights probably won't do the trick. It seems reasonable, as bats will avoid bright lights, but it often exacerbates the problem. Imagine for a moment you put up some bright floodlights around your home.
Does phenol get rid of bats?
Homeowners can use a bat's strong sense of smell to their advantage in eliminating the pests from their homes. Bats find phenol's odor unbearable. Pour white phenol into a spray bottle and spritz it throughout the infested areas of your home. Continue spraying to keep the smell lingering and the bats away.
How do you trap a bat?
If you really still want to trap a bat, here are the three major methods below:
- Netting the bats. This involves a box or cage mounted at the exit point of the bats so as to catch the bats as they come out. ...
- Glue board bat trapping. ...
- Home-made traps. ...
- Wet towel. ...
- Butterfly net. ...
- Jar trap. ...
- Why Trapping is Not The Best.
Why do bats keep coming in my house?
Why do bats come indoors? Generally, it happens by accident through an open door or window, or because they are dwelling in other parts of a home and make their way into living spaces, Ms. O'Keefe said. Bats that do make appearances in our homes really aren't interested in being there, said Merlin D.
How do you make bat repellent?
Essential Oil Spray – Mint, eucalyptus, cinnamon, cloves, and peppermint essential oils are all touted as ways to repel bats with their strong smell. Others say to mix 2 cups of warm water with a few drops of essential oil and a half cup of sugar.
What do bats in your chimney sound like?
Whirring and "Cheeping"
Bats emit distinctive sounds which can differentiate them from birds. You may hear high-pitched cheeps from the bat. Their rapid wing movement (much faster than that of birds) will also sound more like whirring than flapping.
Will a fake owl keep bats away?
One of the most common ways to keep bats out of your home is to introduce their natural enemies, like owls, near the bats' roosting place. Simply buy a fake, plastic owl and mount it as high as possible, while making sure it's close to where the bats are roosting on or near your home.
What is the difference between a bat and a chimney sweep?
Bats head out at dusk to feed, while chimney swifts head in to roost. If the creatures are chimney swifts, just wait a few weeks and they will leave on their own. Chimney swifts migrate to South America for the winter and don't return until April.
What essential oil do bats hate?
Bats, and other rodents such as mice and rats, detest the smell of peppermint, and you can use that to your advantage. By strategically infiltrating a nesting site with peppermint oil, you can rid yourself of those unwelcome guests.