Beware of Scare Tactics!
It has come to our attention that a number of bat experts are giving what we consider bad advice and facts to potential customers that we classify as scare tactics. Listed below are several of the more common lines we've come across from individuals or businesses trying to sell services.
S.T. If you find a bat inside the house, you have or will have several hundred or thousands more.
A. There is no scientific evidence that a single bat inside the house means you will have additional bats. What is needed to determine if additional bats are present is a detailed bat inspection or risk analysis. The number of bats inside a structure cannot be determined over the phone, they must be counted.
S.T. If you do not have the bat problem addressed you and your family will get rabies.
A. Less than 1% of the wild bat population has rabies so a colony of bats using the home does not mean you will automatically get infected.
S.T. You have guano in the attic so all the insulation and guano must be removed and then new insulation installed.
A. Whether or not guano and soiled insulation should be removed depends on a variety of issues. First is how much guano is present. A single piece of guano does not constitute the same potential health risk that a pile 6 feet wide by 2 feet deep does. Second is how much activity with people getting exposed to the guano does the area have. Third is how bad of an odor, when it is present, is there. Fourth is the presence of bat bugs. Note that the C.D.C. recommends NOT REMOVING guano unless people or animals will be frequently disturbing it, as there is more risk of contamination when removing the guano then leaving it in place. We would like to add that guano removal should be considered when 1) the weight of the guano is causing a structural problem with the ceiling or joists, 2) the odor is offensive, and/or 3) bat bugs or other parasites and insects are present.
S.T. To keep a bat trapped in a room, put towels soaked in water under the door jams because bats are afraid of water.
A. Bats are not afraid of water. In fact, by placing wet towels under the door jams you may be giving bats trapped inside the water they were looking for causing possible exposure of a bat on the towel when you remove it.
Company Info
Bats, Birds, & More - Nelsonville offers inspections, risk assessments, consultations, non-lethal bat colony removal, and prevention services (commonly referred to as bat proofing, bat removal, or bat exclusion) for residential, commercial, and industrial clients. We also offer removal and control of raccoons, opossums, skunks, coyotes, and beaver.
Bats, Birds, & More - Nelsonville is also able to work hand-in-hand with insurance companies for removal of guano that may harbor bat bugs or other blood feeding parasites, crystallized urine, soiled insulation, and offensive odor treatment. Other services provided on a limited basis include insulation replacement, stain removal, pest control, and drywall patching.