Bats are endangered species, protected by law, and if you’ve had the unfortunate luck of acquiring them as a pet in your attic during the maternity season, then you will certainly have a feces problem at the end of August. The bat droppings are quite large and will make your property smell bad. That should be the least of your worries, however as the guano could cause various types of infections, especially histoplasmosis – a lung disease caused by the spores or the fungus which is carried in the bat’s feces.

And if that isn’t enough, different types of pests including cockroaches are attracted by the feces, which pose another threat of infestation, forcing you to take action immediately. We didn’t even mention the possibility of material corrosion due to the bat’s urine. So what should you do, before your attic collapses, how could you clean the bat feces safely?

Preparations

Before beginning the sterilization process, you would need to make certain that your efforts won't be wasted, thus you would need to first remove the bats from your attic. You could do so by hiring an expert or excluding them from all possible entry points in your property. Keep in mind that it is illegal to harm the bats in any way, as they are protected by law.

In truthfulness, there s no effective bat repellent, some of them might work for a while, however the bats always end up coming back, meaning the most effective method would be to exclude them, by sealing off all entrance points with one-way device, allowing the bats to leave, but not come back in. You have to absolutely make certain that your property is 100% sealed before proceeding.

The Cleaning

You would need to get yourself protective gear such as a biohazard suit (no joke, the fungus in the feces is infectious), disposable latex gloves, a breathing mask, some kind of a hood and boots. You would essentially need to be fully covered from top to bottom. A pro tip would be to include some kind of a headlamp which will simplify the cleaning process.

There are quite a few health problems that the bat feces might cause, thus before proceeding, we still recommend that you talk to a professional on the matter; however, if you decide to clean the feces on your own then proceed as follows.

First of all, remove the loose guano from all smooth surfaces such as concrete and wood. It would be best done by a vacuum cleaner, plus the hazardous material would be isolated inside the bag. In extreme situations, you would need to use a shovel for the bulk of the feces. Isolate it in a sealed bag – you don’t want to infect the garbage collectors later on. After that, scrub all of the smooth surfaces and use cleansers to eradicate any smell and infectious substances.

The final step would be to use a mist machine, which will ensure that the cleanser will reach into the depths of the smooth surfaces, plus it will eliminate any bad smells from the area.

Read the How to get rid of bats page for helpful information and to learn more about How Do I Clean Bat Feces Out of My Attic?