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Bat Bites

Bat Bites

Bat caught in a blind that could have bitten a person in the room. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel
Bat caught in a blind that could have bitten a person in the room. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel

A 6 year old child died from contact with a rabid bat. According to the news, the boy was awake and put his hand on the bat. He wasn’t taken to the hospital for prophylactic rabies shots. Ultimately, that decision seemed to have cost the child his life. Learn more at 6-year Old dies of rabies. The key here is that bat bites are serious. While a person should certainly know if he/she was bitten while they were awake, frequently bat bites occur when the person is sleeping or under the influence. Parents and caregivers should be particularly concerned about children or the mentally disabled as they may lack the awareness or ability to know or express that they have had contact with a bat.

Take the presence of a bat inside the living space seriously. Capture the bat safely and without harming its brain. Then contact your local health department and have them discuss with you whether rabies testing of the bat and/or whether any family members or pets need to obtain rabies prophylaxis treatment.

Learn more about rabies by visiting CDC.gov and about bats in structures at Management of House Bats

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications along with several books (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

 

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How Acidic is Bat Urine?

How acidic is bat urine? You may think this is a strange question because the answer is obvious, but the fact is it isn’t as obvious as one may think. For instance, one research article on bats in Oklahoma (Shackelford, Jenni, and William Caire. “Variation in pH, volume, osmolality, and sodium and calcium levels of the urine of hibernating myotis velifer from western oklahoma.” The Southwestern Naturalist 38.2 (1993): 159-163.) found that bat urine was only slightly acidic.

Research in the UK agrees finding that bat urine is only mildly acidic with a pH of 5.5 (see http://www.ai-journal.com/articles/10.5334/ai.1703/print/). Now you may read this and say well, we told you bat urine was acidic. But the authors of the UK research said that testing bottled water also revealed that pH levels ranged from 4.2-8.7.

Bottom line, bat urine is acidic but it doesn’t damage items with the speed that one may think. Of course, long-term exposure to bat urine is problematic, particularly for calciferous stone like limestone. So be sure not to over-state the material damaging properties of bat urine.

 

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Histoplasmosis and Hot Dry Attics

Histoplasmosis and Hot Dry Attics

Bat guano can carry the fungus that causes histoplasmosis even in hot dry attics. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
Bat guano can carry the fungus that causes histoplasmosis even in hot dry attics. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by a fungus that resides in bat droppings and areas contaminated by bird excrement. The fungus usually grows in moist nutrient environments. So the question is does the fungus survive in bat guano in hot dry attics? Well according to Bartlett et al. (1982) the answer is simply, “Yes.” Attics, even hot dry attics, with active bat infestations can cause people exposed to the droppings/fungal spores to contract histoplasmosis.

Source:

Bartlett, P. C., Vonbehren, L. A., Tewari, R. P., Martin, R. J., Eagleton, L., Isaac, M. J., & Kulkarni, P. S. (1982). Bats in the Belfry: An Outbreak of Histoplasmosis. American Journal of Public Health, 72(12), 1369-1372 available at http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.72.12.1369

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a Certified Wildlife Control Operator (CWCP®) who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. He has written the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition. Reach him at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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Bats, Sound, & Rabies

Bats, Sound, & Rabies

Research by Denny Constantine (d. 2014) found that there is a relationship between bats, sound, & rabies. In other words, Constantine believed that rabid bats are attracted to noise.

Rabies virus. CDC/ Dr. Fred. A. Murphy
Rabies virus. CDC/ Dr. Fred. A. Murphy

He found that rabid bats appeared to attack humans that were associated with or emitting loud noise. In one study, Constantine used harp traps. Some were set with noise makers and others were silent. The noisy traps caught rabid bats while the silent one’s did not.

The attraction of rabid bats to noise may explain why people who were sleeping in rooms with bats contracted rabies. Perhaps the individuals were snoring or were making noise through their breathing.

Ultimately, more research is needed. But if Constantine’s findings prove out, a trap methodology could be developed to capture bats that are sick and thereby protect other bats and wildlife species from contracting rabies. (Source Combating the Rage by David A. Jessup. The Wildlife Professional Fall 2014: 8:3:38-42.

 About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a Certified Wildlife Control Operator (CWCP®) who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. He has written the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition. Reach him at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

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NWCOA Bat Standards Instructor

NWCOA Bat Standards Instructor

NWCOA Bat Certification
NWCOA Bat Certification

Bat infestations in structures are one of the most expensive wildlife issues a homeowner can confront. The National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) has developed standards that certified bat specialists must follow when addressing bat complaints. The standards cover everything from the type of warranty that may be given, inspection report, equipment choice, disease issues, and more.

With concerns over White-nose Syndrome and the danger it poses to bat populations, these bat standards also encompass equipment cleaning requirements so that wildlife control operators (WCO) don’t contaminate multiple colonies.

I had the privilege be tapped to be an instructor for the Bat Standards. Let me take this opportunity to suggest that homeowners hire NWCOA Bat Standards Certified WCOs to handle their bat complaints.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest books are the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd edition and The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. He can be contacted at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

If you would like your publication, video, or product reviewed, please contact the author at the e-mail above.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.