Dave and All,
When I first started I asked about this a few times and saw it come up on the forum, I believe many folks have shared some tips that go beyond the things we all know are tried and sometimes work on colonies without strong affinity for the site. Things like wind, water, light of course are typical for homeowners to try and some pros even try these in last ditch efforts to move bats and have had success that I've heard reported from sources I believe.
However, for a true long lasting "exclusion" effect on these night roosting areas it comes down in my opinion and experience to modifying the substrate where they are hanging. If they are hanging strictly in the joint of the wall and ceiling, modifying that material from one with a surface bats can grab to one they can't is an effective way to mitigate this long term.
However, will your client allow it and how cosmetic can you make it so that it can be sold to more folks. Folks have used multiple smooth and lightweight materials to resolve this issue, all of which might or might not make your client happy with the look.
We are working on a product that we hope to have out by spring next year for folks to trial, we've been testing it here and I get as many calls for night roosting with no colony in the structure as I do for colonies in the structure. So for me it makes sense to focus on coming up with a cosmetic long term product that is as effective as netting off a ceiling or other things you can do that for many clients won't fly due to the look.
Right now many folks have employed plexi and flashing and other smooth substrates that can be painted and color matched. What we are working on will not need any of that or heavy mechanical adhesion like screws or anchors or adhesive. I've resolved 10 different night roosts in my area that had anywhere from 20-200 bats nightly using them with our new method, but again, won't be out till I have some protection on it, though even with protection I see that patents seem about as good as the paper they are printed on and without being rich or having a rich benefactor I might look for another way around this.
***
Night roosting is widely studied in bats and can vary based on distance to prey, distance to the roost site, whether a maternity colony (ie, you must return to provision (nurse young), weather and other factors.
Of course a colony on a site living in the site can also night roost at the same location depending on all those factors, which has become extremely important to our work because you don't want to modify the ability to land or enter a colony location during maternity season, but you can modify the night roosting where bats aren't using the structure for this purpose.
I did not invent or create the idea of plexi or flashing and do not claim to, we have enough calls for this where folks don't want those things but they don't want bats night roosting either, and necessity is the true mother of invention so we've been working on it....
Stay tuned, until then if you can get folks to go for it, the other plexi, flashing or a drop ceiling of true bat netting can resolve the issue just as well.
We hope to have something people can install without difficulty, will pass the aesthetic test and will be 100% effective on bats using that 90 junction in the porches, entryways to homes.
So many great exclusion devices and products exist for birds with bats and this scenario there is a definite void.
Justin
p.s. I should add I offer folks a money back guarantee within 48 hours if my product fails they get a check, haven't had to write one yet!
Last edited by HD_Wildlife; 08/30/14 04:33 PM.
