What does a group of bats in your house sound like?

Bats are flying creatures, so one of the first sounds you will often hear from them is the sound of flapping and flying around. Bats are nocturnal creatures, so when you go to bed at night, these critters will be in full force, on the hunt for mosquitos and other insects to gorge and feed on. As the animals fly in and out of your home, usually around the roof, chimney or attic, their wings will brush up against walls, tree branches, and other surfaces, and that, along with the flapping, could even be enough to wake you up if there is a large enough colony. Remember that these creatures come out when the sun goes down, and nighttime is a much quiet time of day in general. Any noises, loud or otherwise, will be magnified by the relative silence all around you.



Bats do make a lot of vocal noises, but they do so at such a high frequency, humans can't normally hear them, although some do. Animals will hear the noises. The bats flying around outside your home are likely to annoy the cats and dogs within your home. You may hear clicking noises, however, the sound of bats using something called echolocation to fly around super fast and find prey to hunt, catch and eat. These noises are virtually impossible to hear outside, but when you move inside, the noises can sometimes be heard muffled through the walls and ceilings.

If some of the bats within the colony have gotten themselves stuck in wall cavities or other small spaces inside your home, you will more than likely hear them flapping around in panic, and this will sound like scuffling from your side of the wall.

If you hear sounds coming from within your home — sounds that probably shouldn't be coming from within your home — it's time to investigate further. Bats often cause flapping and scuffling noises in your home, but a wide range of other animals also make similar noises. Raccoons and opossums often get stuck in attics and wall cavities, and these will also make scuffling noises, as well as thudding noises, and a wide range of other sounds too. As soon as you hear something like this, you should either take a closer look yourself, or hire in a nuisance wildlife control officer to come and remove the problem for you.

Learn more about Bats in the attic