Bats

I have 3 or 4 bat jobs to do as soon as the weather gets decent enough to start. People are getting them inside their houses and wanting them out.

Can you inspect the inside of the house and seal the inside? I have done that several times. When the weather breaks you can do the exclusion. Solve their problem now and fix it later.

X2.

Not all clients will pay for interior seals but it is a great tactic for dealing with bats in the living quarters during off season times and maternity season as well.

Sealing that living space will give those folks piece of mind while not harming the bat colony in the attic, walls, roof, etc....

Of course if you meant that they just have bats in the structure but not in the living space then this doesn't apply.

Justin

X3

One of the houses is a large log house that is going to take some extensive interior sealing that the homeowner isn't willing to pay for. This house is one that I had worked on last fall that I probably should have passed on. The roof has steel shingles on it and the ridge cap is coming loose in places. The homeowner had tried to contact the company that installed the roof to have them do the repairs as warranty work, but hasn't had any luck. The other houses haven't had them in the living space only in the walls.

Thanks for the update dspree, understandable about the log cabin situation. I've got numerous clients who have either gone after their
roofer or sider or stucco company due to faulty issues leading to bat problems. Sometimes it is tough to pass, I know being only a few years
in I've eaten my profits more than a few times to make it right, but ultimately have a happy client and I learn.

Numerous folks I've talked to and some on here have very particular policies about log houses!

Justin

And.... in many cases the roofers did nothing wrong. Their installation is "normal" and it doesn't leak. Roofers are not concerned with bats, and in reality they shouldn't be. As much as we like to point out the numerous problems they create, in a way we should be glad they aren't bat experts, as we would be looking for work! I've had churches and homeowners INSIST the roofers come back to "solve" the bat problem, and they almost always fail miserably.

Standard construction practices allow entry, plain and simple. Bad workmanship or faulty materials are different than standard practices and this is where clients and prospects get confused. To them, it's one and the same so they want to try and enforce a "warranty" from the roofer to "save money" who is going to "try" and fix the problem with caulk, tar, and foam shot in places they think the bats or animals are using just to get the client off their backs.

This is akin to asking the hygienist to fix the filling the dentist did. Even though they both work on your teeth, everyone knows that the hygienist (with one exception) is not qualified to do that type of service. As an industry, we need to take opportunities like this to educate individuals with wildlife conflicts without putting down the other trades.

When I have an issue like this, I have no problem educating the client about why it is a bad idea to try and have the "handyman/roofer/siding guy/gutter guy/painter/neighbor/etc.) resolve the problem. If I see an actual problem (metal roofing needs replaced, chimney needs torn down and rebuilt, sheathing needs addressed, etc.) I will point it out and generally recommend that it be addressed by the proper trade but if it is something small (3 joints in need of tuck pointing, 5 slates to be replaced, etc.) and I have the skill/knowledge to do the work I include it in my quote. Ultimately, the choice is theirs but rarely do they pass on my services once they understand the difference between wildlife control work and major construction jobs along with the added project costs by having someone else attempt to address the problem.

Good points Ron and Eric!

I definitely try to avoid offering info on roofing and other structural components without stating to the client or potential client that "I am not a roofer" so take any info with that in mind.

We of course do benefit directly from typical construction practices even the good builders leave gaps that wildlife benefit from and exploit so the link to our industry is there whether or not the contractor is good or shoddy when roofing, siding, etc....

Most of the clients I've had pursue their sider or roofer were still interested in having our work performed first to seal and exclude after evicting the species in question, rather than having the roofer or sider or stucco guys come out and put new materials on and seal in the problem making things worse all around.

***

One disclaimer everyone in this industry should think of or know as well is what is legal for them to do without a contractors license and what is. In some states it is a limit of a certain dollar value, say if the bid is for work over $10,000.00, while in others simply making a normal exclusion fix can run afoul of state licenses and contracting. I've raised this issue a few times and it seems many folks know this law well and how to work within it, while others just tempt fate and figure if they ever get snagged they will pay the fines and leave it at that.

Seems like most states vary widely on these policies, just sayin related to this post, there are things we are able to do that are legal and others that you need your ducks in a row paperwork wise with your state contracting depts. Something as simple as removing and replacing insulation can be seen as needing a contractors license in enough states that you'd be surprised.

Part of our client interaction is always going to be educating them on what we do and what we don't do and the difference between us and someone else in another industry who might have an overlap in terms of working on the dwelling or structure.

Justin

Justin,

Good point. Just to add to it, contractor licenses may be state wide, county wide, municipality specific, or a combination of different licenses for different locations and activities.

I have never taken a log house bat job....just because looking at them, makes me believe there might be a lot of return trips.....as with a slate roof bat job..i will just steer clear of. Just my feelings as I pretty much do bat jobs alone...

Most of mine bat jobs are on log home.
Swedish cope are the ones you never can be quite sure about
I usually research the builder......
I always pull the window and door moldings,,,this is a easy up sale because most home ownwer will tell you that they can feel a draft in these places..
The upside is often the upper level is conventional frame on most homes

Vinke,

Speaking of moldings I've seen some of the lowest height bats in these locations. Low first story windows about 4 feet above grade in the back of those hollowed out logs that many of the cabin types I see use. Bats seem to love these! Second story even better, of course so do the hornets and wasps....

On another note, how many folks see the same thing related to that air flow issue? I've pointed out to countless homeowners how much their building is leaking its heat source due to all kinds of gaps that bats exploit, so energy efficiency and bat exclusion can be a nice hand in hand!

Vinke...pretty sure it's because I don't know how they are exactly built or what....I have performed many sucssefull flyer jobs on log homes...and I evicted bats from a ..kinda...mini log home. Guess you'd call it a shed...LOL

I think that I might actually have a cure for those idiots who actually think that a log home is wonderful.

You should all be raised in one, like I was. Only my log home was one of those 1800's originals. Okay, you do learn how to shoot!

I would be lying in bed and hear this little noise. ( I had added an extension to the light in the middle of the room. )

"Pull the cord and fire." You could actually see me growing up by looking at the holes in the baseboard. BB, .22, and shotshell!

It was a great lesson. Our house = concrete, brick, steel, and no stupid wood burning fireplace. Learned from experience!

My kids and especially the Mrs., can still shoot very well. Just not in self-defense like I was taught.

I resemble that remark, I have you know that I built and enjoy my log home some 23 years and counting now. Most likely will die here.If I get a bat or bug problem I know someone who can fix the problem.:)

A little maintenance on the exterior every 5-8 years with Sikkens but other than that no real issues to date. I really enjoy our wood stove as it is our heat source and none better. No bullet holes yet in this home. I did shoot a 12ga once when really young thru our front door by accident. Just checking the safety on it. Guess it didnt work very well at the time. Sure got everyones attention in the house. LOL

Bob, you don't have to believe this, but it is true. I was looking at the school bus approaching through the scope on my brand new J.C. Higgens automatic .22 from my upper story bedroom window. I pulled the trigger, the safety was off, and I blew a hole through both the window and the storm window.

Mom was mad but since the bus was there, she didn't have time to do much more than holler. That was about 60 years ago and I remember it just like it happened yesterday. I thank God that my learning lessons never hurt anyone.

Justin, i do not know it tax credits are still available currently, but in the past by using rated sealants customers were able to offset the cost of exclusion

That's worth a look Vinke. I do love showing folks how the wind blows right through those entry points!

Some of course don't care, but these days with energy bills rockin along, can't see not....

I will agree log homes are in a league of their own when it comes to excluding bats. there are just so many places they can get into the house and every year it seams there ends up being more gaps between the logs from the house settling and the logs shrinking. As with the roof I am not saying anything bad about the installer, it seems to me there might be an issue with the ridge cap itself and I want to make sure that if I do any work to it that I don't void any warranty that there may be.

Thats good thinking on the warranty aspect dspree!

In my area tile roofs are the norm and if you read the fine print on most of the homeowners documents from roofing companies who sell it, you aren't supposed to be on it, even the new composite style that aren't old clay or vintage terra cotta.

However, nearly all homeowners know that in order to fix problems on the roof ultimately folks are going up there.

I discuss this and have it in my contract when working on tile roofs for pigeons as otherwise you can open yourself up to problems.

I did a job last year that was a two story tile roof pigeon exclusion around solar units. Two things play in here. The tile roof and not breaking tiles when walking on them and secondly the solar panels, if you drill into the frame of a solar panel you void the homeowners warranty.

Many folks don't realize that and one quick drilled sheet metal screw to attach hardware cloth or netting and they are out of their warranty if the company so desires.

The job required me to have a few panels removed which meant having the solar folks come out and remove them as I'm not licensed to (not that I'd want to if I was), and what I saw was eye opening.

They didn't think twice about a tile crunching under heavy boots and ultimately I was left realizing that my standard for careful walking was way beyond theirs and I've seen others since from various professions doing the same. Have had commercial property owners tell me, I know you are going to break tiles when you are up there, just tell me where they are so I can have them replaced by our handyman.

I use soft soled shoes that flex and bend, walk where I know the weight is supported and treat their roof like it is mine.

Good on you for thinking of the potential to void their warranty...

Justin