Binghamton has more bat-prone housing per square mile than almost anywhere in Southern Tier New York. The reason is the legacy of IBM and the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company. Between the 1920s and 1950s, both companies built thousands of worker cottages across Binghamton, Johnson City, and Endicott. Those homes — brick facades, wood-frame construction, original attic louver vents — are now 70 to 100 years old. The vents are deteriorating. The fascia is pulling away from the brick. Chimney flashing has lifted. Mortar gaps have opened up in the eave course. Every one of those openings is a potential bat entry point, and we find active colonies in them every week.
Bat removal in Broome County is what we do. If you suspect bats, call now: (607) 251-0096. Inspections happen year-round. Exclusion work starts August 15.
Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is the dominant species in Triple Cities homes today. They are year-round residents. They roost in attics through the winter and they tolerate the cold that Little Browns cannot. A Big Brown colony of 30 to 100 individuals in an older Binghamton attic is typical — we have found colonies well over 200 in some of the larger EJ-era homes on Robinson Street and in the Oak Hill area.
Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) was once the most common bat in Binghamton. White-nose Syndrome changed that. Since the fungus arrived in New York in 2006, it has killed over 90% of Little Brown Bats statewide. We still see them occasionally — particularly in structures near the Susquehanna River corridor and near Cheri A. Lindsay Memorial Park — but they are a fraction of what they once were.
Both species are protected under the NY Environmental Conservation Law. NYSDEC takes enforcement seriously. There is no legal extermination option. Exclusion is the method, and it works.
NYSDEC prohibits bat exclusion from June 1 through August 15. During that window, bats are raising their young. Pups are born in late spring and cannot fly until late July. If we sealed the entry points right now, we would trap pups inside — they would die, decompose, and create a far worse problem than the live colony you started with. The restriction exists for a good reason.
Here is the part most New York homeowners miss: there are two legal exclusion windows. The spring window runs mid-April through May 31, before pups are born, and the fall window opens August 16 and runs into October. If you call in April or May, we can often exclude immediately rather than waiting out the summer blackout. See the NYSDEC guidance on nuisance bats, and confirm current dates before scheduling.
What we can do right now: a full inspection. We document every entry point, assess the guano accumulation in the attic, and lock in your August 15 exclusion appointment. September books fast — every year we turn away calls in October from homeowners who waited too long. Call today: (607) 251-0096.
A proper exclusion on a 1930s Binghamton worker cottage takes a methodical approach:
We do not skip the return visit. We do not seal and walk away after day one. That is how bats get trapped and die inside your walls.
Inspection: $75–$100, often waived when you proceed with exclusion work. Exclusion for a typical Binghamton home: $400–$1,500 depending on the number of entry points and the size of the roofline. Larger older homes with more linear footage of fascia and roofline run toward the upper end. Attic restoration — guano removal, insulation replacement, decontamination — is separate and runs $2,000–$5,500 depending on accumulation. We quote you a firm number after inspection, not a range. No surprises.
White-nose Syndrome is one of the worst wildlife disease events in North American history. Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causal fungus, has killed an estimated 6 million bats across North America. Little Brown Bats in New York State dropped from millions to hundreds of thousands. Bats eat insects — a single Big Brown Bat can eat 3,000 to 7,000 insects per night. They are the reason you can sit outside on a summer evening in Binghamton without being consumed by mosquitoes. That relationship matters.
NYSDEC's exclusion-only policy is not bureaucratic red tape. It is how we keep the remaining bat population from collapsing further. We follow it. Every job.
NYSDEC prohibits bat exclusion from June 1 through August 15. This is the maternity season — pups are born in late May and cannot fly until late July or August. Sealing them inside would trap and kill them, which is illegal. Inspections are allowed year-round. Exclusion and full sealing resume August 16. We book out fast in August and September, so call now to get on the list.
Big Brown Bat is by far the most common species in Binghamton homes today. Little Brown Bat was once extremely common but White-nose Syndrome has reduced their numbers by over 90% across New York since 2006. Eastern small-footed bats appear in rocky outcrops further south in Broome County. All are protected under NY law.
We walk the entire exterior roofline, check every attic vent, soffit return, chimney flashing, fascia board, and foundation gap. Inside, we assess the attic for guano accumulation, staining, and signs of long-term colony activity. You get a written report with photos of all entry points and a firm price for exclusion and any recommended restoration work.
Related services: attic restoration after bat removal · full wildlife removal services
Call Binghamton's bat exclusion specialists — serving Broome County and the Triple Cities.
(607) 251-0096