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 In Bats, News

Like Elite Pest Control, bats are experts in pest management. These winged mammals hunt and eat a large number of insects living near their natural habitat. But what should you do when these animals choose to settle in your home rather than in the small woodland next door? When they contaminate your land or your home with their excrement that could be harmful to the people in the vicinity?

Our Montreal pest control experts are used to dealing with bat-infested homes, which is why we’re sharing with you the potential dangers of bat guano and the risks to your health.

What does bat poop look like?

Recognizing bat droppings can be useful in identifying the presence of these flying mammals in a certain environment. First of all, this environment is often an attic, loft or under a tree, since bats like attics and dark places of this kind. Since they all defecate in the same place, you’ll find the guano agglomerated in piles.

Bat poop VS mouse poop

Bat droppings are generally smaller than mouse or rat droppings, and cylindrical or pellet-shaped. In general, they resemble curved grains of rice with a crumbly appearance. They have an unpleasant, strong, ammonia-like odor that can turn musty as they dry.

Guano is generally dark brown or blackish, although this can vary depending on the bat’s diet and location. Bat droppings can often contain the remains of undigested insects, which can be a further indicator of their origin, as this is their food source.

Bat guano health risks for humans

Talk to a bat exterminator and they will tell you: bat guano is a danger to human health. While it’s true that guano is an excellent natural fertilizer for plants, the presence and accumulation of bat droppings in a house allows bacteria in the feces of the small flying mammal to grow. When it decomposes, guano releases pathogens into the air. Although bats frequently carry the rabies virus, the disease is not even the most alarming one. And they can pile up fast!

Histoplasmosis: a bat dropping disease

Histoplasmosis is the most common disease associated with bat feces. It is a respiratory disease that affects the lungs. This disease contaminates its host when they inhale the spores released by the decomposing guano. Some symptoms of this disease are shortness of breath, cough, headache, lack of appetite, fever, joint pain, chest pain and vision problems.

People with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of contracting this disease, as are some professional occupations such as gardeners, construction workers and speleologists. Hence the importance of scaring bats away when you discover they’ve invited themselves into your home.

Bats, guano and your house

In addition to the direct dangers of guano to human health, bat feces can also cause major structural problems. This is particularly the case when guano contaminates a home’s attic and insulation. In addition, since guano is corrosive, it can cause sections of your floor and ceiling to collapse or weaken when accumulation becomes excessive.

How to get rid of bat droppings or guano?

Logically, to get rid of bat droppings, you have to get rid of the bats themselves. But if you have to clean up bat droppings, it must be done with care to avoid direct contact with the droppings and to reduce health and environmental risks.

  • Before handling guano, make sure you wear personal protective equipment, such as rubber gloves, a respirator and safety glasses, to avoid direct contact with droppings.
  • You’ll also need to ventilate the area where you’ll be working.
  • Lightly moisten bat droppings with water to reduce the dispersion of dust particles in the air.
  • Use a shovel, tongs or other tool to carefully scoop up bat droppings. Don’t use your hands!
  • Place them in a waterproof plastic bag or sealed container to avoid dispersal of particles.
  • Be sure to wash and disinfect your cleaning tools after use.

That said, we don’t recommend doing it yourself. Instead, call on professional pest control services like ours, because bats are protected animals and good practices are essential.

The importance of caulking and decontamination after an infestation

Health-conscious homeowners can implement preventive measures to avoid and reduce the risk of spreading diseases linked to bat guano. Caulking your home is a very effective method in this regard. This technique aims to identify and block all entry points through which a bat is likely to enter your home.

Similarly, when you identify bat droppings in your home, it is important to clean up the affected area and decontaminate it. Of course, caulking and decontamination should preferably be done by a professional extermination service.

Prevent bat guano from affecting your health

Although some bat species are protected by government authorities, under no circumstances should you tolerate their presence in your home, since the bacteria contained in their guano can make you seriously ill.

Have you noticed any traces of bat urine or feces in your home? Contact Elite Pest Control. Our experienced exterminators will do their utmost to relocate these mammals to a more suitable environment for them. We operate not only in the greater Montreal area, but also in Laval and the southern Lanaudière region.

Pascal Rock
Pascal Rock  
Director, Elite Pest Control
Founder and mainstay of Elite Pest Control, Pascal Rock has embodied expertise and dedication for over a decade. His training, acquired with expert mentors in extermination and pest decontamination, has shaped an outstanding professional. Under his leadership, a team of six seasoned technicians deploys the very best pest control strategies. Together, they ensure the peace of mind and safety of residents and professionals from Montreal to Quebec City, by offering fast, effective interventions, available at all times.