Wildlife Control Cooperators and Nuisance Bats - A Wildlife and Heritage Service Policy Paper

Wildlife and Heritage Service Policy Paper:
Wildlife Control Cooperators and Nuisance Bats
All companies that do nuisance bat work in the state of Maryland must have a wildlife control cooperators permit from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, including pesticide applicators that are licensed by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and national pesticide companies with offices in Maryland. Each branch office of a single company must be licensed individually.

All wildlife control cooperators that wish to do bat work should contact the Department at 410-260-8540 (or toll-free in Maryland at 1-877-620-8DNR [8367], ext. 8540) so that their services can be listed on DNR’s bat web page at www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/nhpbatintro.html.

To improve customer service, cooperators are also strongly advised to become certified in bat exclusion work by Bat Conservation International. This certification process can be applied to the continuing education hours as required. For more information about the certification process, contact Bat Conservation International 1-512-327-9721 or www.batcon.org/binb/.

Methods and Timing of Work Permitted

Only non-lethal methods may be used for the removal of nuisance bats by wildlife control cooperators. Single bats in the living quarters or working space (e.g. bedroom, living room, kitchen, hallway, office) can be captured and released at any time of the year without prior approval from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The cooperator should make an effort to find out how the bat got inside the living quarters or working space.

Health Department officials may authorize the submission of individual bats for rabies testing if that bat has bitten an individual person, or if exposure to the animal cannot be ruled out (i.e. exposure involving young children that cannot talk, mentally-impaired individuals, etc.). Only humane methods of euthanasia can be used for securing the specimen for rabies testing. Bats submitted for testing must be identified to species.

If the bat was found in the living quarters or working space during March 1-August 31, the cooperator should immediately examine the building for potential colonies and temporarily or permanently seal ways of entrance into the living quarters or working space from non-living quarters. If the cooperator finds or suspects that a colony exists in any non-living quarters (e.g. the attic, roof, soffet, walls, etc.) then the cooperator must diagnose the situation further and determine the main entrance holes and potential future access holes. An exit count of the colony at dusk is helpful and can be done by the cooperator or the owner of the house. Potential access holes can be sealed leaving the main exits open until September 1.

Non-lethal exclusion is the only method permitted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for nuisance bat colonies. Exclusion of colonies must take place after August 31 but before bats begin hibernation. Once the bats have left or have been successfully excluded, sealing of the main entrance is required and must be completed. Repellents are not effective or long-term solutions to nuisance bat situations and cannot be used by wildlife control cooperators, including pesticides used to treat insect pests while bats are still present in the colony. Information on exclusions techniques is available on DNR’s bat web page: www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/batsinhome.

For customer service purposes, the cooperator must take the time to allay the customer’s fear of bats if necessary. Cooperators must be knowledgeable in answering a customer’s questions about bats and diseases or bat behavior. The DNR bat web page should be consulted if necessary for information on rabies and histoplasmosis. Excluding bats at the wrong time of year can lead to far greater problems for the homeowner than the one he or she currently faces such as bats dying and creating an odor problem or more bats getting inside the living quarters. Female bats that have been excluded and have flightless young trapped inside the house will fly around the outside of the house and try to find another way to get to their pups. This situation increases the likelihood that the bats may come in contact with people. The homeowner can be directed to call Dana Limpert, DNR, at 410-260-8556 for more information.

If the customer is reluctant to wait the specified time period for exclusion, the cooperator is directed to find the bat roost. If the colony is visible, the cooperator must report the stage of development of the young (fur present or absent, relative size of pup to female) to the Department of Natural Resources. Bats may give birth anytime between April through June. Colonies may be excluded prior to September 1 only with prior written approval from the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service and only for the following reasons: 1) dates when young should be flying have been determined by the Department and permission has been granted to exclude after that time period, 2) pups are not present in the roost, 3) extenuating circumstances warrant exclusion before September 1. Homeowners must request an exception letter (not a permit) by calling Dana Limpert at 410-260-8556.

Cooperators must include the following information in an annual report to the Department: date, street address, city, zip code, species, estimate of colony size, and work performed. Cooperators that fail to provide a detailed report will not have their license renewed.