Frank wrote:

Pat wrote:
I have some bats in the attic of a house I own. I'm not sure how many
but it's a colony. I guess it's breeding season so there's some young-
uns. I don't give a **** about them but I guess the exterminators
do. If it were up to me, the removal process would involve
flamethrowers and hand grenades.

I have to guys coming. On is a couple of hundred bucks and will put
in some repellent. He says it'll drive them out. The other guy puts
up some one-way valve and lets them leave but not return. He wants to
wait till the juvies are old enough to fly so they don't get trapped
inside. He says the repellent doesn't work and even if it did, it
might drive out the females and you'd have a bunch of dead juvies to
deal with. The one-way valve guy also goes around the house and fills
in all little cracks to keep them out.

One is something like $200. The other is something like $900.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge on this, what works, what
doesn't work, etc. etc.

Thanks.

As others suggest, you can do it yourself. Obviously openings need to
be sealed or screened over. A bat can easily slip through about a half
inch crack. You could wait until evening and put lights and mothballs
in the attic to keep them from returning and seal openings next day.
A caution not mentioned is that bats can be rabid so make sure you're
fully clothed working around them. I've had three encounters with them
in the house. One I killed by swatting with a broom, the other two were
chased out with windows open.

Bats are rarely rabid. A more likely risk is histoplasmosis.