Removing bats when ladders and booms won't reach
#3289097
08/24/12 04:11 PM
08/24/12 04:11 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85 Georgia
firedawg
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85
Georgia
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The bats were inside the chimney earlier this spring/summer. Since this was during bat season, and there would be no way to "hand remove" the young, we waited until this week to exclude them. During that time, we closed off the chimney opening on the inside of the house. Once that was done, I think it moved them all the way up to the top of the chimney -- I'm assuming maybe because the air currents on the inside of the chimney changed when the inside was closed off. anyways -- the roof around the chimney was compromised due to being an older house with severe water damage on the roof decking (rafters were still good). Original plan was to rent a boom and fix the chimney cap. After I got over there with a boom, I realized I had overlooked 1 important detail -- the entrance cable was right where I needed to put the boom -- so that axed that idea -- luckily the rental company did not charge me for it -- i WILL be doing buisness with them again. So now what?? Hope you have a friend who is a brick mason and has scaffolding and you can talk him into giving a hand and some equipment. So we set the scaffolding up, and when I got to the chimney, we found out that all the bats were under the chimney cap on the outside. Being that high up on a walk board and trying to dodge 50 - 75 big browns flying out from under a chimney cap sucks!!! So, what was learned here. I like the scaffolding better than the lift for a job like this even though it is more labor intensive -- why -- because It don't jerk around and get blown around by the wind like a lift, and I can put it up where I need it. It also doesn't cost the homeowner what 2 to 3 days of lift rental would--and I don't have to worry about a lift not reaching where I need to get. I can charge for the setup/removal of the scaffolding and that $$ goes to me and hired help instead of to the rental company, and it will usually save the homeowner some $$$. I also learned that I don't like bat removal that much -- most of the jobs I have had have been a real pain in the @$$. I also learned that I way underbid this job--not necissarily a bad thing, I will just be better prepared the next time. Luckily I had a few folks to help me out with the scaffolding and the homeowner was really understanding -- they were to the point they just wanted them gone--and i still came out ok and gained some valuable experience and did not loose $$.
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Re: Removing bats when ladders and booms won't reach
[Re: firedawg]
#3289219
08/24/12 05:33 PM
08/24/12 05:33 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,826 Lower Alabama (Daleville)
LAtrapper
"Professor"
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"Professor"
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,826
Lower Alabama (Daleville)
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Excellent post!!! That is what this forum was designed to do; share useful information!
Note to self- Engage brain before opening mouth (or hitting the ENTER key/SUBMIT button).
Ron Fry
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Re: Removing bats when ladders and booms won't reach
[Re: firedawg]
#3289407
08/24/12 07:41 PM
08/24/12 07:41 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 30 St. Louis area
Dave Schmidt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 30
St. Louis area
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Chimney top looks like ~7' above roofline, pitch looks like about 4/12...if roof is rotten and needs replacement anyway, just nail some good lumber to the rafters. No big wup.
ALL OUT Wildlife Control
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Re: Removing bats when ladders and booms won't reach
[Re: firedawg]
#3289441
08/24/12 08:15 PM
08/24/12 08:15 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85 Georgia
firedawg
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85
Georgia
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the lower roof was about a 4/12, the upper was around a 8 or 9 / 12. I had to get to all 4 sides of the chimney to seal up the underside of the cap -- cap is not on in the pic. It was the box type that sits on top of the chimney and the lower "box" slides down over the brick on all four sides down about 8 to 10". since the chimney was not square, the cap was made wider than the chimney allowing about 3/4" to 1" gap around all 4 sides. this was a older chimney, and I nor the guy that helped me(who builds chimneys for a living) was comfortable putting a ladder against the chimney. for me it would have been hard as heck standing on a ladder to lift the cap over the top of the chimney with all the bats flying out, and trying not to drop the cap. Sorry I didn't take a pic of the cap.
had the cap just been the flat style then we could have worked it from one just side. and if the entire roof was just a 4/12 in decent shape, it would have not been a problem.
I'm sure that some who have tackled a lot more jobs than me may have a better idea and I am all ears - -always looking for a easier safe way to get the job done.
But, believe me, we looked and discussed all options we could think of before setting that up--it was WAY labor intensive, but you had plenty of room to work and set tools, and to me was a lot safer than trying to manage off a ladder. And if you are more comfortable in your working area you tend to do a better job.
Last edited by firedawg; 08/24/12 08:23 PM.
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Re: Removing bats when ladders and booms won't reach
[Re: Bob Jameson]
#3290437
08/25/12 02:25 PM
08/25/12 02:25 PM
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 21 mn
michael_obrien
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 21
mn
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Doesnt look like a difficult access from the photo shown. It appears there is a door which means a porch or deck is directly below that roof line. Seems to me that would have been a handy access to the roof with a 16 ft ladder and a ridge hook to the top if it is steep enough to warrant it.It looks accessable without assistance from the photo.An adjustable leg ladder can straddle the ridge and lean against the chimney. Maybe I dont see something in the photo but it looks like a routine job for us to do. thats what i was thinking, but the pictures might be deceiving.
women like me because I rarely wear underwear, and when I do it's usually unusual.
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Re: Removing bats when ladders and booms won't reach
[Re: Paul Winkelmann]
#3292532
08/26/12 08:57 PM
08/26/12 08:57 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 30 St. Louis area
Dave Schmidt
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 30
St. Louis area
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Got kicked in the face by a bull and spent three days in the hospital. [/quote] Sorry to hear that. Was the bull badly hurt?
ALL OUT Wildlife Control
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Re: Removing bats when ladders and booms won't reach
[Re: Paul Winkelmann]
#3294062
08/27/12 09:13 PM
08/27/12 09:13 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85 Georgia
firedawg
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85
Georgia
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firedawg, you sound like my southern twin. Fell two stories landed on my head and spent three days in the hospital.
Got kicked in the face by a bull and spent three days in the hospital. yep, sounds about right!!
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