LESLIE: Donald in Virginia, what’s going on at your house?
DONALD: In the spring of the year, I have trouble with several bats that are kind of making their home behind my shutters on a two-level home.
TOM: OK.
DONALD: So I was hoping maybe somebody might have some solutions or something to offer that might help or retard them from roosting there.
TOM: Well, they’re outside your house? They’re just between the shutter and the wall?
DONALD: Yes, I have shutters that more or less have slats in them. They’re not solid.
LESLIE: Are they decorative or do you actually use the shutters?
DONALD: More or less decorative. Yes.
LESLIE: Because I’m thinking why not use some sort of chicken wire to create a barrier in that space; almost frame out behind that shutter between the house to make it like a cage so that they can’t get in.
TOM: There’s probably a gap between the shutter. And the same thing – you could use chicken wire or even steel wool that you’ve pressed in around the outside of the shutter edge or maybe even some copper or something like that that’s not going to rust and basically fill that gap around the shutter edge. And that will prevent them from being able to get in there.
You know, the other things that folks use is there are these ultrasonic devices, which some people say work and some don’t work. They’re not very expensive. You could probably buy one and plug it in and see what happens.
LESLIE: Even you could use bird netting.
TOM: Yeah or bird netting. Yeah, that would work as well, too.
DONALD: I had wondered something about like the maybe chicken wire or bird netting …
TOM: Yeah.
DONALD: … and I wondered if it would make a better [grasp hold] (ph) to roost on. You know, just – they usually come early in the spring and they’re there until, oh, maybe like a month or so gone. I guess the colder weather drives them on.
LESLIE: And if they like your house, they’ll find their way back every year.
DONALD: They seem like they’ve made permanent residence and maybe bringing a couple of cousins or uncles with them. (chuckling)
TOM: Well, are they making much of a mess there or …?
DONALD: Yes, you get bat residue and …
TOM: Yeah, and that stuff can make you really sick. So, yeah.
Well, those are a couple of things you could try. You know, if worse comes to worse, you could call a wildlife exterminator and they could put out some professional products that would probably keep them away permanently.
Alright Donald, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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