Bat Clean-up (Guano)
Bat roosts can harbor parasites that may invade buildings. Although most parasites associated with bird or bat roosts die quickly after the birds or bats leave, some may live for several weeks.
If you find piles of mouse like fecal material in your attic or on the ground outside your house, then you probably have bats. (Bats defecate before they enter your home and below where they roost for the day.) Make sure that the fecal material is not old by laying down a piece of newspaper and see if any more droppings fall on the paper. If there is, you have bats. (Just a word of caution about bat guano) They can carry a fungus known to cause Histoplasmosis.
Don’t breathe the feces and avoid contact with them. Ideally, you should wear a HEPA filter mask and spray the fecal material down with 10% bleach solution). You can distinguish between bat droppings and mouse droppings in two ways. First, bat droppings tend to be clustered as they will pile up below where the bat is roosting. Second, bat droppings will have a shiny speckled appearance (from all the insect wings) and will crumble like dust when touched. Mouse droppings on the other hand, tend to be scattered about and become hard when dry.
The incidence of histoplasmosis being transmitted from bat droppings to humans is not thought to be high. Nevertheless, fresh bat droppings (unlike fresh bird dropping) can contain the histoplasmosis fungus. Bat droppings do not need to come into contact with soil to be a source of the disease.
If you suspect you have a bat infestation, t is wise to call a professional that is experienced in identifying and handling bat guano. Hiring a professional animal management company guarantees the safety of you and your loved ones, along with prevention services to keep bats out for good.
