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Little brown bat commonly found roosting in Knoxville attics requiring professional bat removal

Bat Removal in Knoxville, TN

Fast, humane, and guaranteed. Serving Knoxville & East Tennessee.

Professional Bat Removal Services

Something is living in your home that shouldn’t be.

You’ve heard it at night. A faint scratching, a flutter, a sound you can’t quite place.

Bats are one of the most common attic invaders in Knoxville, and one of the most misunderstood. Most homeowners don’t realize they have a colony until it’s been there for months.

Colony of bats roosting on the framing inside an East Tennessee attic, found during a Wills Wildlife Control inspection

A colony roosting on the attic framing, found during one of our inspections in August 2024.

By then, the guano has been building up. The odor is getting harder to ignore. And the health risk has been quietly growing.

There’s a right way to handle this, and it starts with a free inspection.

Bat Removal at a Glance

  • TWRA licensed: Owner Tyler Wills is a TWRA-licensed Animal Damage Control Operator (ADCO). Verify our active permit by searching ZIP code 37777.
  • Bat certified: NWCOA Bat Standards certified since 2024.
  • Legal timing: No colony exclusions during Tennessee’s maternity season, May 1 to August 1. A single bat in your house can be removed any time of year.
  • Every entry point sealed: Not just the main one, down to gaps 3/8 inch wide.
  • 2-year warranty on every opening we seal.
  • Homes and commercial buildings across Knoxville and East Tennessee.

Signs You Have a Bat Problem

  • Nocturnal Noises: Scratching or chirping sounds at night
  • Guano Accumulation: (bat droppings) found near entry points
  • Strong Odors: Musty smells often indicate bat presence
  • Stains on Walls: Oily marks around entry points
  • Visual Sightings at Dusk or Dawn: Seeing bats exit or enter your roofline, chimney, or vents

Bat guano piled along the framing below a gable vent inside a Knoxville attic

Guano piled along the framing under a gable vent, a sign of where bats were getting in.

When Bats Can Be Removed in Tennessee

Timing is the part of bat removal most companies gloss over.

Maternity season runs May 1 to August 1. Mother bats are raising pups that can’t fly yet. Exclude the adults during that window and the pups are trapped inside, where they die in your walls. Tennessee’s training text for Animal Damage Control Operators, Tennessee Wildlife Damage Management with Wildlife Species Information, requires prior authorization for any bat exclusion during this period. We don’t do colony exclusions during maternity season at all.

Winter isn’t a good time either. Bats are dormant through the cold months and won’t reliably leave through exclusion devices. A warm spell can get them moving, but not on a schedule you can count on.

That leaves two main exclusion windows: early spring, before May 1, and August 1 through fall. We inspect year-round, so if you call in June we’ll find every entry point now and have your exclusion scheduled for August 1.

A Single Bat in Your House

A bat flying around your living room is a different situation from a colony in the attic, and Tennessee treats it differently. When fewer than 3 bats are involved, a licensed ADCO can remove them any time of year without prior approval, maternity season included.

We offer same-day service, Saturdays included. Keep the bat in one room with the door closed and don’t try to catch it yourself. If the bat was in a room where someone was sleeping, or it may have touched a person or pet, don’t let it go. Contact your health department, because the bat may need to be tested for rabies.

A bat inside usually means there’s a way in. Once it’s out, we’ll check your home for the opening it used.

Our Bat Removal Process

Bats in your home won’t leave on their own, and the wrong removal approach can make the problem worse or put you on the wrong side of Tennessee law. Our certified process uses humane exclusion techniques to guide the colony out safely, seal every entry point permanently, and restore your home to the condition it should be in.

  1. Free Inspection: We check your attic, chimney, soffits, vents, and roofline for every entry point and assess the size of the colony. We look for any gap around 1/4 inch by 1 1/2 inches or hole around 5/8 by 7/8 inch, and smaller species like the little brown bat can get through an opening just 3/8 inch wide.
  2. Humane Removal: Outside maternity season, we install one-way exclusion devices at all active entry points, allowing bats to exit naturally while blocking re-entry. No bats are trapped or harmed in the process.
  3. Exclusion & Sealing: Once the colony has fully vacated, typically within a few days, we remove the exclusion devices and permanently seal every entry point with professional-grade materials.
  4. Cleanup & Repair: We remove contaminated insulation, droppings, and debris, and repair damage where needed.
  5. 2-Year Warranty: Every opening we seal is covered by a 2-year warranty.

Ridge Guard installed along a roof ridge vent to seal a bat entry point on an East Tennessee home

Ridge Guard installed along a ridge vent. Ridge vents are one of the most common bat entry points, and we’re a Ridge Guard certified installer.

Gable vent sealed with heavy-gauge mesh screen after a bat exclusion

A gable vent screened after exclusion, so air still flows but bats can’t get back in.

Tennessee law prohibits killing bats and restricts removal during maternity season to protect nursing colonies. Understanding Tennessee’s bat removal laws is important for any homeowner, and full legal compliance is built into everything we do.

Commercial Bat Removal

Bats roost in commercial buildings for the same reasons they roost in homes: gaps in the roofline, soffits, and siding that lead to warm, quiet spaces. We handle commercial bat removal with the same inspection, exclusion, and sealing process, the same maternity-season rules, and the same 2-year warranty on sealed openings.

Dangers of Bats in Your Home

Bats carry rabies. That part most people know.

What they don’t know is that you don’t have to be bitten for exposure to be a concern. A bat found in a room where someone was sleeping is treated as a potential exposure by health authorities, because bites from small bats can go unnoticed.

Then there’s the guano. Bat droppings accumulate silently in attic spaces over months and years. When disturbed, they release airborne spores that cause histoplasmosis, a fungal lung infection that ranges from mild to life-threatening. You don’t have to handle the droppings for exposure to occur.

Large pile of bat guano on blown-in attic insulation beside an HVAC duct

Guano from a single colony on blown-in insulation. Insulation like this has to be removed and replaced.

Guano and urine are also corrosive. Over time they break down insulation, wood framing, and drywall. The structural damage compounds quietly. The odor gets worse. And the longer a colony goes unaddressed, the more extensive the cleanup required.

What Knoxville Customers Say About Our Bat Work

“My elderly dad unfortunately had a big bat issue at his home that’s close to 75 yrs old. Tyler with Wills Wildlife was very prompt, professional and went above and beyond to assure all bats were removed and all entry ways were sealed. The guarantee put our minds at ease as well.” Donna Bean, September 2025

“I found a bat in my house on a Saturday morning… No other company was available to come out on a weekend, but Wills was at my place in 1.5 hours. The owner, Tyler, removed the bat humanely and talked through some possible ways it may have entered.” Lyndy Wibking, August 2024

“Tyler came today to inspect our river house for bats. He was prompt and thorough, inside and outside. He inspected the attic, the chimney, and even went on the roof to check soffit and areas around windows.” John Callison, November 2024

“We found a bat in our basement so we decided to give Wills Wildlife Control a call. Tyler not only removed the bat, but checked our entire house inside and out for any openings that could be used for bats to get inside.” Jonathan James, March 2025

Why Choose Wills Wildlife Control?

  • TWRA Licensed & NWCOA Bat Certified: A TWRA-licensed Animal Damage Control Operator and NWCOA Bat Standards certified since 2024.
  • Local Experts: We’re Knoxville-based, not a national franchise or a referral service. You talk to the person who does the work.
  • Humane Methods: We never use poisons or inhumane traps.
  • Fast Response: Most jobs are scheduled same-day or next-day.
  • 5-Star Rated: 102+ verified Google reviews with a perfect 5.0 score.

Ready to get rid of the problem?Free inspection — same-day response across Knoxville & East Tennessee.

Call (865) 333-1834Send a Message

Bat Removal FAQs

Answers to the most common questions we hear about bat removal in Knoxville.

Who is the best bat removal company in Knoxville?

Look for three things: a TWRA Animal Damage Control Operator (ADCO) license, bat-specific training such as NWCOA Bat Standards certification, and a written warranty on the entry points that get sealed. Wills Wildlife Control has all three. Owner Tyler Wills holds an active TWRA ADCO permit, has been NWCOA Bat Standards certified since 2024, and every opening we seal carries a 2-year warranty. We're local, not a national franchise or a referral service, and we have a 5.0 Google rating.

Who can legally remove bats from a house in Knoxville?

In Tennessee, bat removal should be done by a TWRA-licensed Animal Damage Control Operator (ADCO). Bats are protected, so killing them or sealing them inside is illegal. During maternity season, May 1 to August 1, an ADCO needs prior authorization before excluding a colony. When fewer than 3 bats are involved, an ADCO can remove them any time of year without prior approval. Tyler Wills of Wills Wildlife Control is a TWRA-licensed ADCO, and you can verify our active permit on TWRA's permit search.

When can bats be removed in Tennessee?

Tennessee's bat maternity season runs May 1 to August 1. Pups that can't fly yet are in the roost, and excluding the adults would trap them inside. We do not do colony exclusions during that period. We also avoid exclusion in winter, when bats are dormant and won't reliably leave. That leaves early spring (before May 1) and August 1 through fall as the main exclusion windows. We can inspect any time of year and schedule your exclusion for the next open window. Single bats inside your living space can be removed any time of year.

I found a bat inside my house. Who should I call?

Call us at (865) 333-1834. Tennessee allows a licensed ADCO to remove fewer than 3 bats at any time of year, including during maternity season, and we offer same-day service, Saturdays included. Keep the bat in one room with the door closed and don't touch it. If the bat was in a room where someone was sleeping, or it may have touched a person or pet, don't let it go. Contact your health department, because the bat may need to be tested for rabies.

Do you seal all the entry points after removing bats, and is the work guaranteed?

Yes. Once the colony has left through the one-way exclusion devices, we permanently seal every entry point we find, not just the main one. Every opening we seal is covered by a 2-year warranty.

Can I remove bats from my home myself?

We strongly advise against it. Bats are protected under Tennessee law, and improper removal, including sealing entry points while bats are still inside, is illegal and can make the problem significantly worse. DIY attempts also put you at risk of direct contact with bats, which raises serious rabies concerns. A licensed professional ensures the job is done legally, safely, and permanently.

How do I know if I have bats in my attic?

The most common signs are scratching or squeaking sounds in your walls or attic at dusk and dawn, dark greasy staining around small gaps or cracks on your roofline, and the presence of guano, small dark droppings that resemble mouse droppings but crumble to a fine powder. If you notice any of these signs, call us for a free inspection before the colony grows larger.

Do you remove bats from commercial buildings?

Yes. We handle bat removal and exclusion for commercial properties as well as homes, with the same process, the same maternity-season rules, and the same 2-year warranty on sealed openings.

Is bat removal covered by homeowner's insurance?

Coverage varies by policy. Some homeowner's insurance policies cover damage caused by wildlife but not the removal itself. We recommend checking with your insurance provider. We are happy to provide documentation of damage to support a claim.