10 Red Flags When Hiring a Bat Removal Company

10 Red Flags When Hiring a Bat Removal Company

How can you tell whether a bat removal company actually knows what it’s doing? Look beyond whether they can install a one-way device. Proper bat control requires complete structural bat-proofing, appropriate materials, roof-access equipment, custom flashing capability, knowledge of bat entry points and a warranty that covers the actual bat problem—not simply the company’s workmanship.

The 10 red flags are:

No genuine bat-control reviews

Mesh bat exclusion devices

One-inch mesh used for bat-proofing

One type of caulking used everywhere

No metal brake/custom flashing capability

Poor understanding of drip edge and builder’s gaps

Inadequate roof-access equipment

“Workmanship” warranty instead of guaranteeing the result

Short warranty

Fear tactics/lack of species knowledge

Many companies advertise they do bat control.

The majority are completely unqualified.

Some are so bad they rip you off & make your bat problems worse.

If you are looking for someone to fix your bat problem it’s important to get this right.

This list cannot tell you who to hire. But it will show you who to avoid.

So use this list and save yourself a lot of money and misery.

Red Flag #1: They Have No Bat-Control Reviews

What does it say when their work reviews are about raccoon, squirrel & skunks jobs?

Look them up online. (Google, Homestars and the Better Business Bureau are best).

If you want to read our reviews here are the links.

Homestars. 

Better Business Bureau.

Google.

Fire/never hire anyone with no bat control reviews!

Red Flag #2: They Use Mesh Bat Exclusion Devices

Fire/never hire anyone using mesh bat exclusion devices!

Why? because bats get stuck in them and die!

The use of mesh killed this bat.

Cone of death, Mesh exclusion devices.

Death traps.

Lethal incompetence

Devices made of plastic are generally safer because bats won’t get stuck in them.

However, when you bat-proof a house you seal up entry/exit points that mice&rodents use. This forces them to use the bat exclusion vents. And rodents will chew on plastic devices which will allow the bats back in.

Plastic bat exclusion vent destroyed by mice.

Non specialists don’t understand that mice and bats often use the same openings.

Rodents will chew on plastic. Bats get back in.

Plastic is not a deal breaker but is not a good sign.

Here is how it should be done.

Mice&bats were using this entry/exit point. A plastic exclusion device would have been dumb.

We installed an aluminum bat exclusion device. Safe for bats (and mice) to pass thru and impervious to rodent damage

Aluminum exclusion device on roof peak. Note the matching color.

Fire/Never hire anyone that uses bat vents made from mesh.

Always ask to see photos of their devices!

Red Flag #3: They Use 1-Inch Mesh for Bat-Proofing

Wildlife companies rely heavily on 1 inch square mesh. Its effective for raccoons and squirrel jobs.

The problem is they use same the mesh on bat control jobs and bats can squeeze thru one inch mesh.

Effective for raccoons and squirrels. Useless for bats.

Useless.

Not bat-proof!

Keeping bats out requires preventing raccoon & squirrel damage.

The solution. Half inch mesh.

Effective against all wildlife.

Bat-proof!

Half inch square box screens on sidewall vents. Note the depth. The vent flaps have room to open and close.

Fire/never hire anyone using 1 inch square mesh for bat control.

Red Flag #4: They Use the Same Type of Caulking Everywhere

Silicone. Ugly, unsightly, unpaintable and not made for building exteriors.  The use of this product is unforgivable.

Bat control requires several types of caulking. We use four different types of caulk.

Paintable & stainable caulks like thermoplastic or siliconized latex are good for wood, vinyl siding and brick. However, they should never be used on roofs.

Thermoplastic caulk.

Siliconized latex caulk.

Roofs need special (and expensive) caulk because water, sun and cold exposure breaks down common caulks sold in hardware stores.

Good caulks to use on roofs. Formulated to withstand exposure to sun, rain and freezing weather.

Excellent roof caulk.

There is no “one caulk for all situations”

Fire/never hire anyone who uses silicone or one caulk for the entire house.

Red Flag #5: They Don’t Have a Metal Brake or the Ability to Make Custom Flashings

To keep bats out long term the ability to make flashings is a must.

Virtually all bat control jobs will require custom metal flashings.

Here are some examples.

Classic gap between soffits and shingles that must be sealed.

Hacks typically use 1 inch square mesh.

Not bat-proof!

Hack job. Ugly and sharp edges.

And here is how we do it.

Using a brake we measure, cut and bend up a custom flashing.

Custom flashing being installed.

Done. Installed with water-proof screws & high quality roof caulk.

Hacks ignore…

We fix.

Lazy builder left chimney top unfinished allowing rot, rain and bats to enter.

We installed a custom metal pan and high quality caulk to seal out bats and weather.

View from side. Attractive workmanship, bat-proof and no longer in danger of falling apart.

Every house has vulnerable areas and that need sealing and reinforcing with metal flashings.

Keeping bats out means protecting the house against raccoons, rodents and water damage.

Fire/Never hire anyone without a metal brake and a good selection of aluminum flat stock.

Red Flag #6: They Don’t Understand Drip Edge and Builder’s Gaps

The biggest variable in any bat control job is the presence or absence of drip edge.

Found under the first row of shingles, drip edge is used to prevent damage caused by water curling around the edge of the shingles.

A nice side effect is that is covers up imperfections/openings (builders gaps) in the framing below.

Unfortunately, drip edge is not required by Ontario building code so cheapskate roofers skip on it to save a few hundred bucks. Bats will use these gap.

Hidden from view by the overlapping shingles, ignored or missed by non specialists.

Raccoons and squirrels attack theses areas too.

This is typically how non specialist try and bat proof the gaps.

Useless one inch mesh. Water damage, mice and bats will continue to be a problem.

Here is how we fix the problem

Before, Large gap found under first row of shingles.

After. Custom drip edge installed to keep out animals and water.

Example of roof without drip edge.

Same roof after we installed custom drip edge.

Even when drip edge is present it must be checked and screwed in place to ensure it is tight.

Drip edge is not optional if you are going to keep bats and other wildlife out of your home.

Fire/never hire anyone if they don’t know about drip edge or how to determine if your roof has drip edge.

Red Flag #7: They Don’t Have the Proper Equipment to Safely Access the Entire Roof

The majority of bat prevention work is done up high.

Accessing some areas takes more than one ladder.

Virtually all bat-proofing work is done off a ladder.

Fire/never hire anyone if they don’t have lots of ladders and roof access equipment.

Red Flag #8: They Only Offer a “Workmanship” Warranty

Look at the contract!! Do they guarantee their “work”? Or the guarantee they fix the problem? It’s a subtle but important point.

Non specialists guarantee their “work! “When bats continue to be a problem they want more money to do more “work”.

Fire/never hire anyone that doesn’t promise to fix your bat problems & guarantee you won’t be asked for more money.

Red Flag #9: They Only Offer a Short-Term Bat Warranty

Absolute minimum should be 3-5 years. We typically give lifetime warranties. 

Fire/never hire anyone who offers a 1-2 year guarantee.

Red Flag #10: They Use Fear Tactics or Don’t Understand the Bat Species They’re Dealing With

Only 2 Ontario species (big brown bats and little brown bats) live in houses. The majority are big brown bats. 

There are no known rabies deaths from big brown bats in Canadian history.

Their droppings are not toxic. 

Big browns generally form small transient colonies ranging from 1 to 35 members on average.

Guano in the walls and attic cannot affect you inside your home.

Only direct exposure/inhalation of bat guano is a potential threat.

The parasite known as bat-bugs cannot live on humans.

They don’t chew on wires.

The amount of real damage they can do to your home is negligible. 

Anyone who tells you otherwise is a crook or an idiot. Fire/never hire anyone using fear tactics.

Little brown bats are more dangerous as they can form large colonies and cause significant damage thru guano/urine production. There are some rabies death cases recorded in the last 100 years. However by the early 2014 approxiamately 90% of Ontario’s little brown bats were wiped out by white nose syndrome.

They appear to be recovering slowly with the majority of the survivors being found on the Bruce Peninsula and along the shores of lake Huron and Georgina Bay. The number of houses with little brown bat problems is small as of 2022. This may change in the future if the populations continue to recover.

Fire/never hire anyone who can’t figure out what species you are dealing with or talk intelligently about the differences.

Quick summary

Fire (or never hire) anyone who..

1. Has no online bat control reviews.

2. Uses mesh for bat exclusion.

3. Uses one inch square mesh for bat-proofing.

4. Uses silicone caulk or 1 kind of caulking only.

5. Doesn’t have a metal brake and metal.

6. Doesn’t know what drip edge is.

7. Doesn’t have lots of ladders & roof access equipment.

8. Guarantees their “work” instead of promising to fix the problem and never ask for more money.

9. Offers 1-2 years warranties.

10. Uses fear tactics.