How professional bat management has evolved for the better

When I first started doing bat work nearly 20 years ago, a detailed inspection was everything, and that hasn’t changed. A thorough inspection is still crucial to figuring out how bats are entering and using a structure.

What has changed tremendously, however, is how we document those problems, the materials we use to solve them, and how we communicate everything to the customer.

Starting out, I remember using a lot of spray foam, chicken wire, hardware cloth and cheaper caulks and sealants. These days, we’re doing a lot more custom fabrication with aluminum trim metal, galvannealed steel mesh, upgraded vent guards and higher-quality sealants. A metal bending brake wasn’t something we used much years ago. Now, we have one on every truck, and some type of custom fabrication is involved in almost every bat-proofing job we do.

The appearance of the finished work has become important, too. We have access to more colors of metal and sealants, which allows us to blend our exclusion work into the home instead of making the repairs stand out.

We’re not just trying to close a hole. We want the work to be durable, effective and look like it belongs on the house.

Keeping up with construction

We’ve also had to adapt as building practices have changed. One example is ridge vents. As more homes moved away from traditional roof vents and toward lower-profile ridge ventilation, we started seeing more bats getting underneath them. The plastic parts can warp or bubble over time, and sometimes the original installation leaves enough room for bats to gain access.

In the past, we might have had to remove the ridge vent, install screening underneath it and then reinstall the vent and cap shingles. Today, newer ridge protection systems allow us to address those areas much more efficiently. We’re seeing similar improvements with guards designed for gable vents, soffit vents and other common entry points.

Improving the customer experience

Technology has changed the inspection and customer experience just as much as the physical work.

I remember drawing diagrams of houses by hand and marking where I found problems. Now we take detailed photos and videos, build digital reports and send estimates electronically through our customer relationship management (CRM) system. Technology, including newer artificial intelligence capabilities, is making it easier to take the information we collect in the field and turn it into something customers can actually understand.

Communication has probably been one of the biggest improvements on the business side. Customers receive appointment confirmations, notifications when their technician is on the way and even a photo showing them who is coming to their homes. Estimates can be emailed immediately, and our systems allow us to follow up instead of relying on a handwritten estimate we left on someone’s kitchen counter.

Building a team and repeatable systems also has changed our response time. When I was a one-man operation, I could only help so many people and sometimes had to schedule customers much farther out than I wanted. Today, we typically can respond much faster because we’ve built systems that can be taught and replicated across our team.

There is a tremendous opportunity in wildlife and bat management, but it needs to be approached correctly. Invest in training and safety, especially ladder safety. Use high-quality materials. Take the time to conduct detailed inspections and communicate clearly with customers. Most importantly, stand behind your work. If something isn’t right, be accountable and go back and make it right.

The tools and technology will continue to change, but those fundamentals probably never will.

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Sacramento CA