Does Your Attic Smell Like Ammonia?

Now that spring is here, many homeowners are beginning their annual list of chores to get their home’s turned over for the upcoming warm seasons. During this time, it is commonly required to access the attic area for things like inspections, cleaning, storage, and more. If you were just up in your attic space, and noticed a foul or strong chemical-like smell, you might need to add bat removal and cleanup to your spring to-do list.

Continue reading to learn why the smell of ammonia is a common sign of a bat infestation, and what to do if you have bats in the attic in Louisville.

Bats in the Attic
Bats in the Attic? Call 502-553-7622 Now!

Bat Droppings

Bat droppings are known as guano. Guano accumulates in mass amounts in the case of a bat infestation, mostly due to the fact that bats are not solitary animals and often come in large numbers. Furthermore, a single bat can consume more than its own body weight in insects each night (up to 1,000 insects), which can lead to a load of droppings. Needless to say, bat guano is a big, unhygienic mess to have on your hands, and must be remediated with haste.

Potential Dangers of Guano

Not only is bat guano unsanitary, it is also toxic and poses several structural and safety hazards. Foremost, overtime bat guano grows fungal spores that can cause a serious respiratory disease known as Histoplasmosis. These fungal spores are caused by a fungus known as Histoplasmosis Capsulatum, which upon inhalation, causes flu-like symptoms, such as coughing and difficulty breathing.

Although not contagious, it can be easily contracted if precaution is not taken, especially among infants, elderly, and those with weakened or suppressed immune systems. See our blog, “What is Histoplasmosis?” to learn details about this illness, including causes, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and more.

Aside from Histoplasmosis and structural damages, there are several more dangers and concerns surrounding bat droppings that you must take into consideration when dealing with nuisance bats. Read our blog, “Can Bat Guano Hurt Me?” to understand these risks more.

The Smell of Ammonia

As for smell, bat guano accumulations are commonly described as having an odor similar to ammonia, which is found in high concentrations in cat urine. A most unpleasant and strong smell, ammonia-like odors in your attic are a blatant indication of a bat infestation. If you smell ammonia, or any other foul odor in your attic, contact a DNR licensed Louisville bat removal company for information on what to do and how to get rid of them.

Louisville Bat Removal and Control You Can Trust

Call 553-502-7622 for prompt and professional 24 hour bat removal in Louisville, Kentucky and its surrounding areas. We are DNR licensed bat removal contractors that offer safe and non-lethal, 24 hour bat extraction and exclusion services for residential and commercial properties. We also provide bat cleanup and minor attic restorations for bat damages too. Request a free estimate, anytime.