Though bats have long been known for their beneficial insect diet, they become a nuisance when they invade homes. Bats have been known to create their nests in attics, soffits, fascia board gaps, vents, and uncapped chimney flues. When bats come indoors, generally it happens by accident through an open door or window. Bats that do make appearances in our homes really aren't interested in being there.

Cyprus is the only EU country which has 19 species of bat; on of them is a species of fruit-eating bat (Egyptian fruit bat) , while the other 18 species are all insect eaters. All 19 species of bats that inhabit Cyprus are protected, meaning that it is illegal to kill them!

Protecting bats is crucial because they are an important part of the food chain. Without bats, the insect population would run rampant. They also play an important role in the ecosystem as they pollinate flowers and disperse seeds; many plants depend entirely on bats for these services. However, they are natural reservoirs of many pathogens, such as rabies; and since they are highly mobile, social, and long-lived mammals, they can rapidly spread disease.

The best time to perform exclusionary work is before May 15th or after August 15th. In between this time, the bats will have mated and had their young. The young will be unable to fly and will be trapped inside and eventually die if any repair work is performed. In turn, it will cause further insect and odor problems.