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 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.