The sound waves produced by the bats are ultrasonic waves. Bats emit sounds at typically 2 or 3 times higher pitch than we can hear. Sounds above human hearing are usually called ultrasonic.

The bat emits ultrasonic waves with very high frequencies. Its calls are pitched at 20-100 kilohertz, a frequency that is too high-pitched for humans to hear naturally. Their sounds are reflected in the environment, hitting various objects and returning to the bat as echoes.

Both CF and FM bats have specialized inner ears which allow them to hear sounds in the ultrasonic range, far outside the range of human hearing.

Because of their unique physical abilities, bats can safely roost in places where predators cannot get them. To sleep, bats hang themselves upside down in a cave or hollow tree, with their wings draped around their bodies like cloaks. They hang upside down to hibernate and even upon death.

However, as with many creatures, there’s a benefit of having them near, but not in, your home. If you have a colony of these creatures in your attic, you’ll want to act fast. Their droppings can cause structural damage, create a bad odor and even grow fungus which can cause respiratory problems.

Bats are by nature gentle animals. They do not attack people. People get into trouble with bats when they attempt to pick them up. Any wild animal is going to act defensively when someone attempts to pick it up.

If you are bitten by a bat — or if infectious material (such as saliva or brain material if it is killed) from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or a wound — wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and get medical advice immediately.

But not because they’re set on attacking you or trying to suck your blood. Bats are associated with diseases, including rabies. In addition, their droppings, called “guano,” can contaminate soil with a fungus that causes Histoplasmosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If a bat bites you, you will likely feel it. If you are awake and conscious, you will likely feel a bat bite because they feel like sharp needle jabs. According to the United States Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people usually know when they have been bitten by a bat.

Even if you aren’t sure whether you’ve been bitten, seek medical attention. For instance, a bat that flies into your room while you’re sleeping may bite you without waking you. If you awake to find a bat in your room, assume you’ve been bitten.

Generally no, bats are not aggressive by nature and unless you are threatening them they won’t act aggressively toward you. Most bats are quite timid and prefer to avoid people. However, having worked directly with bats they are not like rodents, they have very distinct personalities and to me act more like puppies.

Hawks and owls regularly kill and eat bats. Snakes and predatory mammals such as weasels and raccoons climb into bat roosts during the day and attack bats when they are sleeping. In some places, bats are even killed by little birds that fly into bat caves and peck them to death.

And as bats harbour several viruses that cause severe disease in people, including rabies, Ebola and severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV) it makes sense that they — along with rodents — are the focus of most viral-detection and surveillance efforts.

Bats do swoop close to the ground in flight and may come close to people, but do not be alarmed and move away if you feel uncomfortable. Bats do not attack people. If you encounter them flying around, they are probably swooping towards insects or fruits on the trees near you and mean you no harm!

Killing the bat and disposing of it – If you kill the bat and dispose of it, you have lost the ability to test the bat for rabies. If there is a remote possibility that you or someone in your household has come in contact with the bat, most physicians will want you to undergo treatment for potential rabies exposure.

Federal law safeguards not just the bats, but their habitat as well. Bats use caves and mines for habitat, and hibernating and roosting areas are protected by law. State-threatened and endangered species are protected by state law. It is illegal to possess, injure or kill a bat.

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Don’t chase the bat or swing at it with a tennis racket or a broom, the Cooperative Extension says. That will only cause the animal to panic “and fly erratically around the room.” Also, if you hit it, you could crush it, Braband says, and in order to be tested for rabies, bats need to be intact.

In most states, bats are a protected species, which means that it’s illegal to kill them. One humane approach is to install a bat house on your property prior to evicting your unwanted guests. Chances are that once barred entry to your home, the bats would take up residence in the new accommodations you’ve prepared.