Contact Us at (804) 729-0046 or toll-free at (888) 824-7383
Fast Help for Bat Bugs in Richmond, Henrico, Charlottesville, and Across Virginia
If you’re seeing bites or small reddish-brown bugs after bats have been in your attic, chimney, or walls, you may have bat bugs. Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services provides bat bug identification, humane bat exclusion, and targeted bat bug treatment for homes and businesses throughout Virginia. Most importantly, we help you stop the issue at the source.
If bats are still active in the structure, start with bat removal in Virginia to solve the source of the problem.
Bat Bug Overview
Bat bugs live with bats and feed on blood. They feed mainly on bat blood. However, they can bite people and pets when bats are not available.
Bat bugs are closely related to bed bugs and can look almost identical. Because of this, bat bugs are often mistaken for bed bugs. For that reason, you often need magnification and experience to identify them correctly.
Two commonly referenced species include:
- Eastern Bat Bug
- African Bat Bug
Bat Bug Identification: Bat Bug vs. Bed Bug
Adult bat bugs are reddish-brown, flat and oval, wingless, and about ¼ inch long. At first glance, they look like bed bugs.
A key difference between bat bugs and bed bugs is found on the pronotum (the upper area behind the head). Bat bugs typically have longer fringe hairs in this area than bed bugs. Unfortunately, this detail can be difficult to confirm without magnification. Therefore, professional identification often saves time and prevents the wrong treatment plan.
How Bat Bug Infestations Start
Bat bugs are most often found in buildings that have (or recently had) bats. Bats carry bat bugs into buildings. After that, they usually remain near bat roost areas such as:
- Attics
- Chimneys
- Wall voids
- Soffits and roof gaps
When bats leave—or when you exclude them—bat bugs often crawl deeper into the home to find a new host. As a result, you may start seeing activity in rooms below the roost. In some cases, they may move into areas where bed bugs are usually found, such as bedrooms. If you suspect bat activity overhead, learn more about bats in the attic.
Bat Bug Bites and Health Concerns
Bat bug bites can cause itchy welts, swelling, redness, or rash-like irritation—especially in sensitive individuals. In addition, bites can lead to stress and sleep disruption.
Even so, the most important step is not just treating bites. Instead, you need to remove the bat source and address any remaining bugs so the problem does not continue. In many cases, that starts with bat removal in Virginia.
Bat Bug Control and Removal: What Works
Effective bat bug control is usually a two-part solution. In other words, you get the best results by handling both the bats and the bugs.
1) Remove the source: bats in the structure
Bat bugs are strongly tied to bats. Therefore, to stop the problem long-term, you typically need humane bat exclusion (sealing entry points and “building them out”) so bats cannot return.
Important: Killing bats is illegal in many situations and is not the proper approach. Humane exclusion is the standard solution.
2) Treat affected areas (when needed)
In many cases, bat bugs decline after bats are removed and entry points are sealed. If activity is heavy, targeted treatment can help reduce remaining bugs faster. Trained professionals should handle this step using appropriate products and methods for cracks, crevices, and roost-adjacent areas.
If there is also contamination in the attic or wall voids, you may need bat guano removal after the bats are excluded.
What Do Bat Bugs Look Like?
Bat bugs often appear:
- Near roost sites
- In or near bat guano
- In rooms directly below roost areas (such as bedrooms under an attic)
Many pest control companies misidentify bat bugs as bed bugs. We can help confirm what you have and recommend the correct plan.
FAQ: Bat Bugs and Bed Bug Look-Alikes
Yes, they can be related. Many homeowners with bats actually have bat bugs, not bed bugs. Bat bugs live with bats and may spread after bats move or are excluded. Learn more about bats in the attic.
In most cases, bat bugs decline after the bats are humanely excluded. If the infestation is severe, we can treat affected areas to reduce activity and speed up results. The long-term fix usually begins with bat removal in Virginia.
Yes. Bat bugs prefer bats, but they may bite humans if bats are not available.
Bat Bug and Bat Removal Service Areas in Virginia
We provide bat bug control, bat removal, and wildlife services throughout Virginia, including the Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Tidewater / Hampton Roads, and the Shenandoah Valley / Southwest Virginia regions.
For the full list of the cities, counties and towns where we provide service, visit:
If you don’t see your city listed, contact us—we often serve nearby areas and can confirm availability quickly.
Contact Virginia Professional Wildlife Removal Services
Contact Us at (804) 729-0046 or toll-free at (888) 824-7383 for bat bug control, bat removal, wildlife exclusion, and humane animal removal in Virginia.
Bat conservation note
Bats are important to Virginia’s ecosystem. If you want to help preserve bats and increase their chance for survival, building a bat house is a good start. We also do bat house installations. We support humane bat solutions and also offer bat house installation. If you suspect a protected species (such as the Little Brown Bat), it’s important to hire a trained professional who follows best practices. You can also learn more about common Virginia bat species.
INSERT STATE PIN MAP