YORKTOWN, Va. (WVEC) -- It's a freaky sight for Friday the 13th.
"I want them out, I want the whole attic sealed."
Dozens of bats have taken up residence in Melissa Caden's attic.
"They freak me out," Caden said. "I don't want them up there.
Several months ago, her daughter noticed animal poop on the side of the house. She didn't think anything of it, until she saw more.
"I sent my husband up to deepest, darkest corner of the attic where we do not store anything," Caden said.
And sure enough, it was there that he found the source of the growing guano pile.
"He didn't scream, he didn't yell," Caden recalled. "He just said, 'Well, we have bats.' And then he goes back to work and I call the wildlife people."
Learn More: Bat Conservation International
Kevin Cornwell with Cornwell's Wildlife Control came to the rescue. He said the bats will keep coming back, year after year, during the maternity season.
"You have to worry about rabies, and they can transfer a lung disease," Cornwell said.
His goal for the Caden home: close off all access points so the bats can't find their way in.
"They can get into a lot of small spaces, [and] juvenile bats can get into even smaller spaces," he explained.
But Caldwell said that the current group of bats -- some of which are babies -- may be living in Caden's attic rent-free for a little while longer.
"We want to wait until we know they can all fly, so we have good babies so they can reproduce next year."
But Caden said the bats have already overstayed their welcome, and she just wants them out.
"They can find someone’s else's house to live in. Not mine. I did tell my neighbors."
If you hire an expert to check your home for bat, make sure they are bat management certified.
