Dear Pest Control Companies,
Every year there are media reports of bats entering apartment buildings, homes, schools and businesses. Oftentimes these “infestations” are dealt with in ways that result in liabilities for pest control companies. However, when handled with proper bat exclusions techniques, there are no liabilities, and in fact, profit is increased. In addition, referrals often will outpace commercial advertising, saving additional money.
Oftentimes, wildlife/pest control operators may attempt to simply capture the bats for removal for a few hundred dollars. If these pest controllers don’t have mandatory rabies vaccinations for employees, which means handling that comes from hand removal or trapping can be a potential health hazard. Proper exclusion of an average single-story home averages between $1,500 and $2,000, with double that for a two-story home. Commercial structures, such as shopping centers, schools, etc., can run $10,000 to $100,000 or more, as in the case with stadiums. As you can tell, there is good money in excluding.
However, exclusion needs to be done at the proper time of year, as explained in the video below.
This is where we need your help. Our proposed draft of a critical new Bill to offer better protection (and less liability for pest control companies) for our Texas bats is below. If you agree that this bill needs to be passed, please reply to this email with permission to use your logo or name in support of this bill. That is all we are asking from you – nothing more at all.
| 89R9357 MP-F | ||
| By: Eckhardt | S.B. No. 1285 | |
| relating to the protection of bats. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 63.101, Parks and Wildlife Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 63.101. PROTECTION OF BATS. (a) Except as provided by | ||
| Subsections (b), (b-1), and (c), a [ | ||
| (1) confine or hunt a bat; or | ||
| (2) sell, offer for sale, purchase, offer to purchase, | ||
| or possess after purchase a bat or any part of a bat, dead or alive. | ||
| (b) Subject to Subsection (b-1), a [ | ||
| hunted if the bat is inside or on a building occupied by people. | ||
| (b-1) A bat or bat colony using a building or structure as a | ||
| roost site may be controlled only by a nonlethal exclusion method | ||
| that allows bats to leave but not reenter the building or structure. | ||
| The exclusion method described by this subsection may not be | ||
| implemented during the period each year beginning May 1 and ending | ||
| August 31. | ||
| (c) This section does not apply to: | ||
| (1) an animal control officer, a peace officer, a | ||
| licensed pest control professional, or a health official who | ||
| captures a bat that the officer, professional, or official | ||
| considers injured or diseased; or | ||
| (2) a person who transports a bat for the purpose of: | ||
| (A) laboratory testing if the bat has exposed or | ||
| potentially exposed humans or domestic animals to rabies; or | ||
| (B) rehabilitation at a registered | ||
| rehabilitation facility if the bat has had no known prior exposure | ||
| with humans | ||
| [ | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||