Is Bat Urine Harmful?

Posted on December 31, 2021 by virginia

When it comes to discussing the consequences of bat infestations in attics and similar structural areas of a house or building, guano is often the topic most touched upon. Solid bat waste, known as guano, can cause an extensive amount of damage to a surrounding space, whether it comes into physical contact with a structure or not. Insulation, walls, floorboards, ceilings, ductwork, electrical wiring, and much more can be destroyed by guano accumulations. But guano is not the only bat excrement to worry about if you suspect you have bats in the attic. You mustn’t overlook the harm of bat urine.

Continue reading to learn how bat urine can be harmful, how to clean up after a bat infestation, and how to protect your home from bat intrusions, year-round.

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The Dangers of Bat Urine

There are many reasons why bat urine can pose several health and safety risks, as well as structural hazards around your home or business. First, let’s discuss the contents of bat urine. Bat urine is primarily composed of uric acid, which is an insoluble compound strong enough to corrode metal. It is also found in the urine of reptiles, birds, and even some insects.

Bat Urine Damages

After learning the power of uric acid, you can imagine how easily high concentrations of bat urine left untouched over time can cause an extensive amount of structural damage to anything it has saturated. Not just metal but wood and plastic, too. The usual suspects damaged by bat urine include HVAC units, electrical wiring, floorboards, wall beams, ceiling beams, insulation, ceilings, drywall, window frames, gutters, roofing, and even mortar.

Bat Diseases

Aside from structural damages, which can lead to costly and invasive renovations and repairs, bat urine can also pose several health and safety risks. As for safety hazards, bat urine can damage structures over time, causing them to weaken and warp. This can lead to slip and fall accidents, blunt force impacts, collapsing, sink holes, and other dangerous accidents and injuries. Additionally, bat urine can be a source of a potentially deadly bacterial disease known as Leptospirosis. It is transmitted through broken skin, or the eyes, nose, or mouth.

You must also keep in mind that, where there’s bat urine there’s likely bats, and bats are known carriers of several infectious and transmissible diseases that can affect both people and pets, including the Rabies virus.

Common Signs of Bat Urine:

▷ Lingering Odors
▷ Bubbling Or Peeling Wall Paint
▷ Wall And Ceiling Stains
▷ Wet Walls That Never Dry
▷ Damp Drywall
▷ Mold on Wall Frames

Cleaning Up After a Bat Infestation

If you suspect that you have bats in the house or somewhere infested within your property, it is important to contact a local Virginia back control company for that removal service. They can inspect your property and determine the best strategies for extraction and prevention. The first step to cleaning up after about infestation is bat exclusion, which is implement by modifying the property in a strategic way to prevent bats from accessing high interest areas.

Once the home or building is animal proved, decontamination and sanitation phase can commence. This may include pest mitigation, which is sometimes necessary to get rid of lingering lice, gnats, ticks, fleas, rodents, or bat mites. You can find trusted bat cleanup and restoration services for affordable price, as they are often covered under homeowners’ insurance.

Are you now sure that you have bats in the attic, or a bat in the house? Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for prompt and professional bat removal and control services at the right price. We serve all of Virginia, including Roanoke, Midlothian, Fredericksburg, Glen Allen, and more.

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The True Facts About Bats and Blindness

Posted on December 15, 2021 by virginia

Have you ever used the adage, “blind as a bat?” If so, you may be disappointed to learn that you were incorrect. That is because bats are not actually blind. But don’t be ashamed if you always thought this; many people share the same misconception. The truth is that there are more than 1,400 bat species in the world, and not one of those species is blind. What’s even more interesting is that they actually have quite good vision, especially Megachiroptera species (fruit and old-world). This makes sense, as they are night-hunters. So, vision is important for darting and dashing for prey.

Continue reading to learn more interesting facts about bat vision, echolocation, and more.

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Megabats and Microbats

There are two main categories of bat species: Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera, also known as megabats and microbats. Megachiroptera, or megabats, are large bats that live in tropical and subtropical climates. They maintain a diet of fruits and nectar, but some species are also known to consume small amphibians and fish.

As for vision, Megachiroptera have large eyes and a pronounced visual cortex that allow them to see very well. They also have a good sense of smell. Some species, like Flying Foxes, actually see well during the day, and are dependent on their daytime vision to fly around on moonless nights. They can also see in color!

Microchiroptera, or microbats, are different from megabats in many ways, however, their vision is just as good. Despite their poorly developed small eyes, scientists have confirmed that microbats have both rods and cone photo-receptor cells in the retinas, giving them the ability to see in the day, in color, and at night.

Furthermore, Microchiroptera (not all species, but most) have a built-in sonar system called echolocation, which emits high-frequency ultrasonic pulses into the air that bounce back and outline the surrounding environment.

Bat echolocation is why many people believe these mammals are blind. But echolocation is simply a bonus attribute that allows microbats to hunt faster and with more precision.

How to Manage Nuisance Bat Problems in Virginia

You will know you have a bat problem when you begin to identify the signs. Common indications include strange noises coming from walls and ceilings, yellow or brown stains on walls or ceilings, foul odors in concentrated areas of the home, bat guano or bird-like droppings, and seeing bats fly around your home at night.

If you are concerned about bats in the attic or around your property in Virginia, there are many safe and affordable options for animal proofing, inspection, and extraction. If you find a bat in the house, never attempt to catch, trap, touch, harm, or kill a wild bat. Instead, contact a 24 hour Virginia wildlife removal company for licensed bat removal and control you can trust.

Are you having problems with nuisance bats around your house? Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for comprehensive bat removal and control services in Richmond and all surrounding Virginia areas, including Fairfax County, Norfolk, and Manassas. We serve residential and commercial clients.

Why Landlords Should Never Ignore a Bat Infestation

Posted on December 7, 2021 by virginia

Landlords have a lot of responsibility, from property and tenant management to facility maintenance, building code compliancy, insurance coverage, business expenses, record keeping, tax planning and preparation, and more. So, it is not a surprise that many landlords tend to fall short when it comes to critter control. A few animals scurrying around here and there can be harmless, but when an infestation occurs, it’s a whole other ballgame. As a landlord, it is important to fully understand the consequences you can suffer if you neglect to resolve a critter infestation, especially if that infestation is bats.

Continue below to learn why landlords should never ignore a bat infestation or nuisance bat problem, plus where property owners can get reliable critter control and animal-proofing services in Richmond, Virginia.

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Landlord Liability and Bat Infestations

Landlords and property managers have a legal responsibility to make sure their premises are safe from reasonably-foreseeable dangers and hazards. This legal responsibility is known as duty of care, and the law takes this duty very seriously. There are many consequences you can face as a landlord or property manager if you fail to address a bat infestation anywhere on your commercial premises. Top consequences include premises liability lawsuits, building damages, and expensive repair work.

Premises Liability Lawsuits

If a landlord fails to take care of a bat infestation within a reasonable timeline, and as a result a tenant is seriously injured and suffers damages and losses, that tenant can take legal action against the landlord. Such claims, which can turn into lawsuits if no settlement can be negotiated, are known as premises liability lawsuits, and they tend to cost landlords tens of thousands of dollars. Not only will legal fees add up and potentially devastate the business but losing a premises liability lawsuit can lead to a large settlement payout. Keep in mind that bats are carriers of the Rabies virus, and if a tenant or pet is exposed from a bat bite, it could quickly lead to a lawsuit.

Building Damages

Bats are not great housemates. They are highly destructive in a short amount of time. Bat droppings accumulate at a massive rate, plus pose several health and safety hazards. Everything from roofing and siding to electrical wiring, insulation, window screens, vents, floorboards, ceilings, and walls will be damaged by a long-term bat infestation. If the bat infestation remains for too long, a building can suffer severe structural damages, possibly even leading to it being condemned until renovations are completed and approved by the city.

Renovation Expenses

Resolving a bat infestation does not stop at removing the bats. There will be a lot of cleanup and repairs needed to bring the environment back to a healthy condition that is up to code. Bat infestations that are neglected over a long period of time tend to require the most invasive renovation work, and therefore, very expensive. And in many cases, insurance policies will not cover repairs that are required as a result of facility negligence. After all structural repairs are made, animal-proofing strategies must be incorporated, which adds to the overall cost. The last step is hygienic cleanup, which sanitizes the area and mitigates any lingering pest infestation, like lice, ticks, fleas, bat mites, and similar parasites.

Do you want to make sure your business and tenants are protected against bat intrusions? Contact Virginia Bat Pros at 804-729-9097 for comprehensive bat removal and control services in Richmond and all surrounding Virginia counties. We serve commercial and residential clients.