Bed Bugs
March 15, 2010 by Aaron Steen
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are feeders of humans, domestic animals and bats/birds. Bed bugs feed on blood only. Bed bugs are about 1/5-1/8 of an inch long. They are oval shaped and look about the same as a dog tick. After feeding, bed bugs become enlarged and turn a reddish color. Bed bugs have sucking mouthparts which enable them to in take blood through skin.
Bats and Histoplasmosis
March 14, 2010 by Aaron Steen
Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is a spore that can be found in bat droppings. When droppings are disturbed or cleaned up these spores can become airborne. If breathed in, the spores can develop a fungus in the lungs. This can cause breathing problems and make people very sick. Great care should be used when cleaning up bat droppings including wearing a respirator and gloves. Droppings can be sprayed with bleach and water to keep spores from becoming airborne.
Bats in Iowa
March 13, 2010 by Aaron Steen
Keeping screens on windows and doors will prevent bats from directly flying into the house. Attached garages should have the doors shut at night. Make sure screens are in tact on attic screens and lattice areas. New roofs are sometimes necessary if wood and siding is in bad shape. Bats will fly in and out of structures at sunset and then continue throughout the night as they feed on insects. Bats will not fly in and out in the winter as insects are not there to feed on. In spring, nighttime temps need to reach around 40 degrees to begin feedings for bats.
Bats
March 12, 2010 by Aaron Steen
Bat houses are not expensive and can be purchased at outdoor stores. These can give bats more areas to roost and not look for other areas to enter a home. Bats will not attack people but can bite if they are stepped on or handled. Only about 1-5% of bats carry rabies in Iowa.
bat services in iowa
March 11, 2010 by Aaron Steen
Bats in homes and structures
Catching bats in a home can be tricky. Use towels or nets to contain the bat and then release it in another area outside. Releasing it close to the house will not do much good as the bat will probably just reenter where it originally got in. Gimmicky sound devices and moth balls do not work to repel bats. The best method of permanently keeping bats out of the house is a bat eviction service. This includes sealing all gaps that are a ΒΌ inch or greater and installing bat vents on areas that bats use to get in. After about a week, the vents can be removed and sealed. This is the only real way to keep bats from entering homes.