We don’t always recommend guano cleanup for our clients that have recently undergone a bat removal. We take guano cleanup on a case by case basis.
Of course, the most obvious question is why. Why do we not always recommend you cleanup bat guano and urine?
GUANO IS GROSS
Trust us, we get it. Guano is gross. We have a lot of clients that we’ve flat out told, “cleanup isn’t necessary” that still hire us to do guano cleanup. They just don’t want to leave it.
So, under what circumstances does guano absolutely need to be cleaned up?
- When it is in an area that needs to be accessed regularly. If you have bats that have made a mess all over your seasonal decorations stored in the attic and you want to be able to take them out and put other storage items in there, leaving the guano is a bad idea. Bat guano is dangerous in the right circumstances when disturbed.
- When there is an odor. Trust us on this, you will know when you have a bat odor. They can only be described as pungent.
But, here is a few examples of when you can leave it alone:
- When the guano is in a sealed area such as a wall cavity or inaccessible attic space. There is no risk of it being disturbed unless you start tearing down walls or ceilings. And even in those circumstances, it is most likely that you will do that years down the road after the guano has dried out and no longer poses a threat.
- When there is scattered guano and no piles. You really don’t need to go through the expense of hiring a professional guano cleanup specialist. Get a good shop vac with a hepa filter, use a respirator (something better than a dust mask), and vacuum it up. Trust us, you will save yourself money even if you have to go buy the vacuum.
- When you have a log home and it is scattered in between the beams. This guano will fall out naturally on its own. While it may be gross to find some scattered guano on the floor after a windstorm, it is safe to again just vacuum up.
what are you willing to pay?
In reality, most of the time guano cleanup comes down to a comfort level. If you absolutely don’t want it around and there’s no odor issues, hire us to clean it up. If there are piles of guano, you definitely want to hire us to clean it up. But the nice thing is, we’ll tell you honestly whether you NEED it or not.
If you just want us to assess the situation and tell you what you’re up against, give us a call. We’ll discuss it and review pictures for no charge. We don’t want you to live with uncertainty, but we also don’t want you scammed by someone telling you it has to be done.
Your local bat removal expert,
Michael Koski
Comments 10
Cathleen Turner
April 30, 2023 |
We had bats in attic type space between bedroom ceiling and roof, We had a rodent removal exterminator come inspect and seal the access points. He recc'd to leave the droppings as they would dry out. We cannot detect an odor. Unfortunately the problem was discovered when a hole appeared in drywall of bedroom ceiling. I want the hole repaired. What is our next step? We live in a very rural area near the UP of MI. Will a regular dry wall person attempt to fix this with bat guano present above his head? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you.
Tori Bruce
May 1, 2023 |
First of all, your exterminator gave you sound advice. If it has been left undisturbed for a while it is less likely to have Histoplasma capsulatum growing in it. You may find a drywaller who isn't bothered by the guano? Or bring in a remediation type company to pull out enough sheet rock to remove the guano and treat the area with fungicide. Most insurance companies will cover this type of damage if you approach them correctly.
Ron Green
September 22, 2021 |
Hello. Thank you for this service. We had bats in our living space and ductwork for about a week after re-shingling our roof. I think the roofers closed up a hole into our attic the bats were using. So, there are probably a few bat droppings in our ductwork. Do you think I need to have my ductwork cleaned? Its fairly new and I doubt it needs a good clean yet. Thanks!
Tori Bruce
September 24, 2021 |
Hello, a handful of droppings is not dangerous. You probably only need to clean it out if it will give you peace of mind.
Carolyn Iles
August 3, 2021 |
Hello, thank you for your direct no nonsense advice. It is so welcomed. I have been watching about 30 bats fly from my attic for over a month. This is the first time we have seem them. My attic appears free from odors and I don’t see any piles of poop. The only thing up there is our furnace/HVAC which heats the second floor area .. of we leave guano up there after eviction of bats… will that be an issue because of the hvac?
Tori Bruce
August 3, 2021 |
Hi, If you don't see any guano, it may be contained in your roof or one of the walls in which case it is best left alone since you report no odor problem. Your air intake for your HVAC system should be outside your house, so even if the guano is somewhere in the attic, it shouldn't be a problem. If you do discover a larger accumulation in the attic you should re-evaluate.
Gayle
February 28, 2021 |
Hi and thanks for your trusted expertise! We had bats in our attic 4 years ago. We have some guano still up there and unfortunately a lot of misc. stored items. We want to now clean the space. Is there a period of time when the guano is less toxic? We will be purchasing a hepa vacuum to aid in the cleaning. The guano is in smaller scattered areas. Any advice is greatly appreciated. gayle
Tori Bruce
March 3, 2021 |
Hi, scattered guano that has been drying out for 4 years should be safe to clean. I do recommend a respirator though, in addition to the Hepa filtered vacuum.
Melissa
August 3, 2018 |
Bats are in our wall. Once baby bat season is over and we seal up areas they are getting in and out of..should we worry about cleaning guano in the walls or would we be better off not disturbing it. We are in Lexington KY ....thank you
Tori Bruce
August 3, 2018 |
Hello Melissa, Every bat infestation is different so there isn't a set rule, it's a case by case. Our customer service department would be happy to get more details and help you determine if you can leave the guano alone or not. Please feel free to call and have a consultation. 877-264-2287.