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A search on "bat removal" turned up an assortment of sites and a wide array of pest removal services. We clicked on the first "Web Page" match, a family bat-proofing business based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. They offer bat-deterrent products and services as well as links to more bat resources. Still in the dark, we visited the site at the top of their list, Bat Conservation International, and scrolled down the left side of the page till we located Bats in Buildings. We clicked the link and promptly learned some common-sense precautions -- bats
are not aggressive but will bite if grabbed. To exclude colonies from nesting in buildings, cover chimneys, vents, and other potential access points with 1/2 inch hardware cloth, or use netting to keep unwanted bats out of more open areas. Bright lights sometimes deter bats from roosting. Here are some detailed instructions for bat-proofing your home or building. We found more pertinent information by changing our search phrase to "nuisance bats" -- an informative page from the state of Missouri titled Controlling Nuisance Bats, and a
similar document from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on the removal of a single bat. A reminder: Although most bats are not dangerous, they can be carry rabies. Histoplasmosis, a flu-like fungal disease, may be contracted from inhaling the dust of bat or bird guano. Do not release sick or injured bats back outdoors; contact your local animal control or health authorities. On the brighter side, bats are great consumers of bothersome insects - we're talking 600 mosquitos per hour -- so some folks spend a lot of time and effort building bat houses to attract these warm-blooded bug-eaters to
their backyards.
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