Can bats bring in mites and parasites
It is unusual to get confirmed cases of ticks or external parasites of bats moving into the living areas of houses. Additionally, bat droppings are very dry and therefore not typically attractive to parasites.
In the very rare situations where mites and/or parasites have moved into living areas, this has been associated with large, stable bat roosts. As parasites cannot sustain and reproduce without a host, the movement of insects into living areas usually coincides with bats dispersing to their mating and hibernation sites in autumn.
We are not aware of any health risks associated with ticks or external parasites of bats. The ticks found on bats are slow moving animals which are harmless and not able to bite humans or domestic pets. In the absence of the bat hosts they cannot sustain and reproduce.
We would advise you to employ a pest controller to investigate and identify the insects and their source. If the pest controller believes the issue to be associated with your bat roost you will require further advice.
This advice provided by the National Bat Helpline is only possible thanks to the generosity of people like you. Our vital advice service helps thousands of people by providing advice for free, this in turn saves thousands of bats every year. Partial funding from Natural England helps cover some of our running costs, but it does not cover everything. Your donation will help ensure our small team can continue to provide assistance and a lifeline for bats.
