While bats play a critical role in the ecosystem by eating insects and dispersing seeds of plants, they certainly aren’t welcome house guests. The Advocate recently reported that
Guano is a type of dropping, or poop, produced by bats and birds. It is composed of organic material and can accumulate in large quantities, forming piles of poop in attics and other enclosed spaces. Although it may seem harmless at first glance, guano can pose serious health risks to humans through contact with fungal spores and other biohazards found in the droppings. These health hazards include respiratory issues, infections, and other illnesses.
It is essential to handle guano with care and ensure that the proper safety protocols and protective gear are used during the cleanup process. In extreme cases, it is recommended to contact a guano removal expert to remove the piles of droppings safely and effectively.
Safety Precautions for Cleaning Up Guano
If you have bats in your home or business, guano can become a serious problem. Bat droppings can accumulate quickly and create a biohazard, posing significant health risks to humans. If you need to clean up bat guano, it is essential to take safety precautions to protect yourself from exposure to harmful bacteria and particles.
Wear protective gear
You should never attempt to clean up guano without appropriate protective gear. Rubber gloves and safety glasses should be worn to prevent direct contact with guano and dust from droppings. An N95 respirator mask should be worn to limit exposure to airborne particles and fungal spores.
Ensure you have the right equipment
Special vacuums should be used to remove loose droppings, as typical household vacuums can spread particles throughout the space. An electric atomizer can help disinfect the affected area. If you need to remove guano from attic insulation or other organic materials, it’s crucial to use enzyme-based cleaners that break down the organic matter.
Avoid sweeping and vacuuming
It’s important to avoid using traditional cleaning methods such as sweeping or vacuuming, as these methods can stir up the guano and create more airborne particles. Instead, consider using an enzyme-based cleaner that will break down the organic material in the guano and make it easier to clean up. Special vacuums that are designed specifically for guano cleanup may also be used, as they can effectively remove loose droppings without stirring up dust or other harmful particles.
Enlist the help of a professional cleaning service, if needed
If you’re dealing with a modest pile of guano, you can use exclusion devices to keep bats out of your property once the cleaning is done. However, if you’re dealing with more massive accumulations of droppings, it’s crucial to enlist the help of a guano removal service.
How to Remove Bat Guano and Droppings
After following the recommended safety protocols, the next step in cleaning up bat guano is the removal of the droppings and organic material. This step is essential to ensure that all traces of the guano are eliminated and that the area is safe for humans and pets.
Use an enzyme-based cleaner
First, break down any solid masses of guano using an enzyme-based cleaner. These cleaners also disinfect the area and help reduce the strong smell of ammonia that comes with handling bat guano.
Loosen the droppings with a scraper
Once the bat droppings have been sprayed with an enzyme-based cleaner, use a scraper or a spatula to loosen the guano from surfaces, such as walls or floors. The loose droppings can then be placed in a plastic bag and disposed of according to local regulations.
How Xtreme Cleaners in Louisiana Can Help
If you’re dealing with an infestation of bat guano or other pest droppings in your Louisiana home or business, you don’t have to take on the cleanup process alone. The team at Xtreme Cleaners is here to help.
Our experienced and trained professionals can safely and efficiently remove piles of poop and other accumulations of droppings from your property, using special vacuums and safety protocols to prevent the spread of harmful particles and protect your health. We also use electric atomizers to disinfect affected areas and eliminate any lingering smells of ammonia.
If you’re concerned about the safety of your property and your health, don’t hesitate to contact Xtreme Cleaners for professional guano abatement and clean-up services. We’ll get the job done right, so you can breathe easy once again. there are 12 species of bats that can be found in Louisiana, which means the chances are quite high for bats to be near—or in—your home.
If bats have decided to move into your attic, or around your property, you’ll likely see or smell their feces and urine. Bat feces measure ¼ inch in length with rounded ends and are typically dark brown or gray. Sometimes they seem to gleam in the light, due to the large amount of insect exoskeletons in the droppings.
Once you’ve established the presence of bats in your home, you must safely clean the areas and dispose of the feces. Bat droppings contain various diseases that could be very harmful to humans, so it’s critical that you clean properly.
Here are 5 tips on how cleanup bat feces
- Avoid Sweeping or Vacuuming
You may be tempted to sweep up the mess once you find the droppings, but don’t. When bat guano breaks apart, the illnesses and diseases are very hazardous when ingested. Never sweep or vacuum up the piles of poop prior to the following steps.
- Protect Your Skin and Airways
All exposed areas of your skin must be covered completely, ensuring you wear thick gloves. Goggles and a surgical mask are also important so your eyes and airways are protected. Even if you’ve damped the feces, wear a mask over your nose and mouth.
- Dampen the Bat Feces
In a low-pressure sprayer or spray bottle, mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia in water. Moisten the droppings generously to avoid creating any powder residue when you remove the guano.
- Remove the Droppings
Using disposable paper towels, scoop up the bat feces and toss the towel along the poop into a trash bag. Continue this process until you have cleared all droppings and dispose of the bags immediately after cleanup.
- Disinfect the Area
Remove and discard of any disturbed insulation, if any. Spray the affected areas with your ammonia mixture and use a mop or scrubbing pads to thoroughly clean the area. Scrub the area multiple times to ensure it is free from disease.
Cleaning up after bats have inhabited your home can be a big job. If the information above seems too risky for you to take on, or you’re unsure you can handle the job properly, you should call in the experts. A professional Louisiana remediation company has expertise and experience in handling situations such as bat droppings clean up, and they can clean up quickly and effectively. It’s better to be safe and have it handled correctly than to be sorry later.