Pest Management Professional, January 2014

Continued from page 72 Bat bites caulk copper mesh or hardware cloth or wire mesh and replacing broken pieces of siding aluminum or wood flashing 5 or chimneys Offering a bat exclusion annual maintenance warranty generates additional revenue and provides clients with a sense of security Its similar to a yearly termite carpenter ant or carpenter bee renewal warranty in which you provide an annual inspection of the previously performed bat exclusion and perform any necessary maintenance Treatment tips Make sure attic vents are secure with vent covers New covers hardware cloth or screening are acceptable exclusion methods Screens on gable vents should be secured too Inspect for possible openings or tears and repair accordingly Look for rub marks and chances are youll locate their entry points Also inspect for bat guano on the building exterior and you might find the openings overhead When installing netting for bats its important to attach from the top above an opening and leave the net loose for a few days so bats can crawl out from under the net but not re enter There are one way bat tunnels and cones made just for this purpose Beware of mating cycles however so you dont trap young bats or pups inside structures Dont use pesticides to flush out bats because theyre a protected species Safety first All service technicians should wear the proper personal protective equipment PPE when performing bat control including HEPA respirators goggles gloves bump caps and disposable coveralls Incorporating HEPA vacuums safety cones caution tape and menworking Bats are nocturnal and the only mammal that flies Bat babies are called pups and need warmth to survive Mother bats bring food to their pups and can detect their babies by scent Bats live in proximity to one another in colonies Bats have built in sonar called echolocation and catch about 500 to 600 insects for food per hour while in flight The guano of bats contains insect parts making it easily identifiable Bat guano contains ammonia and can be toxic Their droppings also give off quite a stench Bats hang upside down so they drop down to fly Its difficult for bats to fly once theyre on the ground Insects dispose of dead bats Bats harbor in numerous places such as under bridges in tree cavities attics vacant buildings chimneys caves wall cavities bell towers and under canopies fascias and eaves Less than 1 percent of bats carry rabies In the U S rabid bats kill about two people a year Bats can carry bat bugs fleas viruses and pathogens as well as other infectious diseases including rabies severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS and histoplasmosis a disease caused by a fungus that is found in bat droppings Bats are typically born between April and August so bat proofing should only be done between September and March There are more than 1000 different species of bats Two recognized suborders of bats are megabats which feed on fruit and pollen and microbats which feed on insects Vampire bats found mostly in Central and South America dont suck blood They might bite an animal for example and then lap the blood up Bats usually live for 10 years Some species of brown bats have a life expectancy of 30 years While some bat varieties are booming more than 50 percent of bat species in the U S are in severe decline or listed as endangered They could eventually be extinct signs is a must Additionally anyone who performs this type of work should be immunized against rabies Its rare but humans can contract rabies through bat bites scratches and saliva Its also recommended all technicians take and pass a certified course from the U S Occupational Safety Health Administration OSHA Additional training for ladder lift boom harness scaffold and power tool use is also important PMP Stuart Aust president and CEO of Bug Doctor can be reached at stuart@ bugdoctorinc com wildlife Dont use pesticides to flush out bats because theyre a protected species 74 January 2014 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net