I had a bat problem for which I did an exclusion. They have not been back since. I cleaned the attic and sprayed a bleach mixture at the time. All seemed ok but at certain times I still get a smell. I was hopeful that it would just stop by it’s self but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It only seems to happen when the weather is humid. Any thing I can do to get this smell out once and for all? Thanks.
Absolutely. If you review the products listed in our BAT CONTROL article, you’ll see we have several designed for cleaning up bat droppings and the odors associated with their presence. As you’ve already learned, bleach will not get rid of the smell. In fact bleach will take away the color of many things but it’s not designed to kill anything and since odors are very much “alive”, you’ll need to use special agents to render them useless and non offensive. Odors will live for many years and in most cases, just go dormant when it gets dry and/or cool. But once the local air temperature reaches a certain level along with the right humidity, you’ll no doubt notice the smell come back.
Now the best product for killing the smell is T.O.N. (Total Odor Neutralizer). This material can be applied to the attic by either spraying or misting. Mix 4 oz per gallon of water and use the mixture over 500 sq/ft of surface area.
The following “short video” (less than 60 seconds) summarizes how this product works:
Expect to get immediately results; within a day you should notice a significant drop in the odor. In general, 1 application will resolve most any problem but you’ll need to give it a good 2-3 days per treatment to let the active do its job before you know if you need to treat again.
Apply the mixture with a good PUMP SPRAYER if the is no concern about the liquid leaking down through ceilings and causing cosmetic issues.
Remember to treat the insulation thoroughly since it will be harboring the odor.
And if you can’t accomplish this goal with the sprayer, get our BUG SPRAY FOGGER. This will allow you to get the entire attic treated without having to navigate around the attic space much since the mist will permeate well and carry the T.O.N. to key areas.
The following “short video” (less than 60 seconds long) demonstrates how this mister works.
These machines will do the job so much faster (and definitely better) compared to spraying so well worth the cost.
Now if by chance you have any wall coverings in place like plywood, sheet-rock or paneling, you’ll want to get our SLAB INJECTOR. This is essentially a pump sprayer that has a nozzle which shoots your tank mixture sideways. This short video shows it in action.
As you can see in the video, a 1/2″ hole will allow you to treat sideways so the T.O.N. can cover all the spaces behind the wall covering. Make the holes high enough so the treatment can filter down and in some cases, making some “drain” holes down low is smart so you can track how much is reaching down that far.
Now if you follow these guidelines and do two treatments without getting positive results, you may have to remove all the old insulation, treat the exposed wood and then re-insulate. I’ve seen where bat droppings can accumulate so much that the old insulation is not “savable” and if the odor migrated into the wood roof decking, it can require a direct treatment to resolve the matter.
In general, the roofing will ventilate out and so they’re won’t be an odor coming inside but it can happen. And since you didn’t mention just how bad the bat problem was you had, I cannot say for certain if this will be required or not.
Tom says
My attic is pretty big with small access to the eves where I think the smell is coming from. Since I can’t get to the eves I think I’ll need to use the fogger. The bat infestation I had was pretty bad. Will using T.O.N. remove the odor permanently or does it just work for a while and then the smell comes back?
Tech Support says
It’s a permanent result. As long as you get the T.O.N. where the odor is based, you’ll neutralize it almost immediately. Now if you detect some odor lingering 2-3 days following the application, that usually means you would want to treat again or that maybe you missed a spot.
Total Odor Neutralizer: https://bugspray.com/sanitizer/liquid/total-odor-neutralizer
Bugspray Fogger: https://bugspray.com/equipment/foggers/bugspray-fogger
Tom says
How do I determine how much T.O.N. product I’ll need with the Bugspray fogger? I figuring I’ll treat twice either way. I want to make sure I get this resolved once and for all. Thanks again.
Tech Support says
As a rule of thumb when treating animal odor like bat guano, you should expect to use 8-16 ounces of T.O.N. per gallon of water. Use 4 oz for mild to medium problems; 6 oz for bad or “intolerable” problems. And every gallon you mix up, you’ll be able to cover about 500-1000 sq/ft of area.
Now the reason for the variable amount of coverage is that it will depend on the surface being treated. For porous surfaces like insulation, you would expect to use more material compared to something hard and non-porous. So with that being said, expect to use about 1 gallon of mixed material per 500 sq/ft of area you’re treating.
And what we know about using T.O.N. for Bat Guano in attics, it’s important to make sure you get a good measurement of the surface area because the odor can get into the rafters and roof decking above the insulation. So don’t be afraid to over estimate how much attic space you have and based on the information I’ve supplied above, you should be able to calculate how much to use. Now if you still need help, just give us a call.
Betty L McDonald says
We have a 4500sf barn that had a lot of bats (less and less each year) that we want to discourage in the Spring, since we are opening for barn weddings. We are having it cleaned by vacuuming the guano off rafters, beams and floors. Can we then use the foggers with the T.O.N. to eliminate the pheromones? Thanks, Betty
Tech Support says
Betty,
Absolutely. As explained above, it can be sprayed via a pump sprayer but ultimately, the best way to apply it is to use one of the listed fogging machines. The T.O.N. will neutralize guano (bat droppings), urine and their related scents (pheromones). This will help prevent bats from noticing your barn as a viable place to roost and basically cause them to ignore it and find shelter elsewhere.
Now if you plan on having receptions out in the open around the barn following the ceremonies, I suggest you consider purchasing a fogger. This way after you solve the odor issue, you could use the fogger to mist the property outside for insects. Fogging is a great way to control gnats, mosquitoes, flies, etc. I’m sure your patrons would appreciate less bugs and its easy when using any of our machines.
More on controlling these pests can be found in any of our related articles (link to them from our main page) but the process is simple; fog using the machine in the morning of any planned event and you’ll have way less bugs (if any) for at least a day or two. Treatments can be done in very little time and pose no hazard when the treated area has 30-60 minutes to settle before events were to start. Let me know if you need help determining what products to get if you decide to fog for insects but for now, either of the machines listed above with T.O.N. will definitely take care of your bat odor issues.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Customer Care
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
Toll Free: 1-800-877-7290
Wm says
Thank you for posting these helpful Q & A’s. My question is related to the effectiveness of the T.O.N. in relation to the temperature. I have an unheated 2nd floor with attic which is where the bats lived for several years.
I’m thinking the chemical is more effective at higher temps. Is this correct? This is one of my winter projects, but if I need to wait until summer to treat for better effects, I will. Thank you.
Tech Support says
WM,
It won’t matter. As long as its 40 degrees or more, the treatment will neutralize the odor molecules. Remember, the chemical reaction between the two is based on contact and is not temperature dependent. That being said, as the temps dip into the thirties, the water (which is the carrier of the T.O.N. ) will start to freeze and this in turn cause distribution issues.
In summary, the only real impact the cold air will have is in the way one tests the results of the treatment. In general, one can tell within 1-2 days if the treatment was thorough and complete. This can be measured by walking around the home where the odor was once detected. But if its 40 degrees or less, the range of the odor will be limited and I’m guessing it might be hard to notice unless you’re actually in the attic space “face to face”. So after you treat, you’ll probably want to go up into the space you treat to actively test the results.
Regardless of the temps, I strongly recommend you treat the odor as soon as possible. I say this because bird and bat droppings tend to carry a wide range of contaminates and these can often times pose health issues. To insure these contaminates aren’t finding their way into your living space, get the odor neutralized ASAP. One jug will be enough to treat the attic space several times so even if you do notice a lingering odor next spring or summer, you will no doubt have plenty left to treat again.
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
John says
Will applying these in an attic via a fogger produce too much moisture and potentially cause mold? Do you need to leave the home for anytime to avoid breathing in the fog if it gets into living space?
Tech Support says
John,
Not sure which item you’re asking about but in general no, they won’t pose a hazard to anyone in living spaces. Remember, the treatment is actually removing the bat guano odor which is the real danger here. In fact, working around guano, removing it, treating in an attic, etc. should be done only when wearing protective gear like our respirator and coveralls.
Respirator: http://bugspray.com/equipment/safety/wilson-freedom-respirator
Coveralls: http://bugspray.com/equipment/safety/coveralls-disposable-medium
T.O.N. will break down the odor at a molecular level so it will no longer get into the air. This in turn will eliminate the smell and the associated risks. That being said, you should still remove as much of it as possible.
Lastly, if the odor has made its way into the living space, you may need to wipe down the walls and ceiling with the T.O.N. mixture too. This will immediately diffuse the scent/smell.
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
PS: Are you signed up for our informative twice a month Pest Report Newsletter? More info here: https://bugspray.com/bugspray-pest-report
Frank says
Hello,
I have between 1/2-1/4 jug left of TON, I forgot? and left it in the garage. It froze then thawed later of course. Do you think it would still be as effective?
BTW: TON works better than I could ever have anticipated!
Thank you for a great product from a great company…so helpful and you don’t try to upsell. That’s rare .
Anyway, Thanks for any help with my question.
Frank
Tech Support says
Frank,
Thanks for the great feedback 🙂
T.O.N. is a great product and simply put, does what it claims and amazingly fast.
Your “frozen” jug will probably work fine. My best advice is to use it if you encounter a foul odor and if you don’t get the same positive results as you’ve seen in the past, let us know and we’ll further advise.
Technical Support
800-877-7290
Tricia says
How do I treat my roof, we do not have an attic but the bats are getting under the shingles and staying between our rafters and roof. If there is no space to put a digger, how do I treat the area if I can’t see in it or physically get into the space where the bats are without ripping my roof/shingles apart?
Tech Support says
Tricia,
If you review our Bat Control article, you’ll see the first thing you need to do is get rid of the bats. Our Sound Repellers set up around the roof set to constantly “on” should do the job unless they’re finding a spot hidden from the sound waves. Regardless, you need to get rid of the bats first before you try getting rid of their odor.
Once the bats are gone, you can literally spray, fog or inject our T.O.N. using a pump sprayer, hose end sprayer or fogging machine. If you’re not comfortable up on the roof to do the job, you’ll need to hire a service company/handyman who can. Once you have someone in place capable to do the work, you can reach out and we’ll be able to advise them on how to proceed.
Technical Support
800-877-7290
PS: Are you signed up for our informative twice a month Pest Report Newsletter? More info here: https://bugspray.com/bugspray-pest-report
Camille says
I’m cleaning a cabin that had a large colony of bats. They’re finally excluded. Most of the walls and ceiling are rough cut pine. D-logs for the walls and 2x6s for the ceiling between bark on rafter logs. The ridge beam is grey from the urine. The 22′ woodstove chimney is streaked and rusty in spots. There are a few sheet rock walls closing in 2 bathrooms and a bedroom. It’s an open loft style. We’ve demo’d what we could and are ready to clean and deodorize. What are my next best steps?
Tech Support says
Camille,
If you check our Bat Control article, you’ll see what we have for the bacteria, any virus and odor control. And how to proceed.
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The short summary is first, get a gallon of the Lemon Air or Sanni Plus, both on this page:
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Lemon Air Down the Drain Insecticide: https://bugspray.com/sanitizer/liquid/lemon-air-sanni-shine
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The Lemon Air will kill all virus, bacteria and germs and will also help reduce some of the smell. I prefer the Sanni Plus, listed at the bottom of the Lemon Air Page, cause its odorless and twice as strong. This way if the Sanni Plus doesn’t eliminate the odor, you’ll know quickly since the Lemon Air tends to “mask” it for awhile.
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The Sanni Plus mixed 2 oz per gallon and fogged using our fogging machine is the way to proceed. Saturate the space at least twice using 1-2 gallons per treatment.
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Bugspray Fogger: https://bugspray.com/equipment/foggers/bugspray-fogger
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After two days, if you’re still smelling anything, get the T.O.N. and use it in the fogging machine as it will take care of the odor 100%.
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Total Odor Neutralizer: https://bugspray.com/sanitizer/liquid/total-odor-neutralizer
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Technical Support
bugspray.com
Aly says
Hi Team, I had bats in our dormers and it wreaks of bat urine. We were hoping the smell would go away once the bats were evicted, but it’s been a few months and we can still smell the urine scent. Unfortunately, I can’t get to the actual walls where the bats were living because our 3rd floor was made into living space. What’s the best way to eliminate odor in places your cannot get to because it’s covered in wood?
Tech Support says
Aly,
If you scroll up a little way, you will see our Slab Injector. I would advise you to use this for injecting behind the finished walls now in place. Granted you have to drill holes to get the injector’s tip inserted but for now, this is the least invasive option available short of removing the walls.
Apply the TON as we instruct above and as long as you deliver it to the odor molecules, you will render them useless and no longer able to produce a detectable smell.
Tech Support
Nick says
After removal of as much guano as we can via hepa vacuum. I would love to use TON to get rid of the oder. It does make a pungent smell in the home during humid summer days. My question is, myself and our smaller dog are very sensitive to some chemicals. Will we be able to stay in the house that day? The dog has been to the ER for some pretty minor things as he goes into convulsions when exposed to some chemicals.
Tech Support says
Nick,
A couple of things.
So first, Bat Guano is has been identified as the cause of death for many people and animals. It commonly carries histoplasmosis which is a lung disease and so well, its not good to be around guano or smelling it because you don’t want to get histoplasmosis. Point is smelling Bat Guano is the “bad” thing here: not the remedy (aka: T.O.N.).
Now if you haven’t yet done so, learn how to neutralize bacteria, virus and other germs by visiting our page on “rodent dropping cleanup”. The process demonstrated there with a good video is complete, presented in less than 1 minute and most likely needs to be done where you had your issue (whether that was an attic, wall void, etc.).
Now if you are confident that all the guano has been removed AND you have properly killed all the germs, then treating the same area with T.O.N. would be suggested.
The quick explanation on how T.O.N. works is to imagine it not as a spray but rather as a blanket. And so if the odor was in the rafters of your attic, you would then take this “blanket” of T.O.N. and throw it out over the area where the guano was removed. This would effectively cover, suffocate and then neutralize the odor. This happens as it absorbs and ultimately diffuses it so there is no more “odor” molecules available to get airborne.
T.O.N. poses no hazard to anything living; all its does is dismantle air borne molecules which are needed to form an odor molecule large enough for us to detect. Once these molecules are taken apart, no more odor.
T.O.N. won’t be in the air so there won’t be any exposure to it by any one other than the person doing the treatment. Regards to how safe it is; you can spray it on your clothing without any risk. I’ve used it to get rid of fish odor from fishing (on my hands) and its amazing. I also used it to neutralize skunk odor and it worked immediately.
In summary, no matter where you are treating, do not have your pet close. They should be in another room with the door closed. And once the treatment dries or 4 hours passes, they’ll be able to come back to the treated room without any need for concern. And if its your attic you’ll be treating? Then they just need to stay out of that space while you treat but they’ll be fine in any other part of the home.
Oh, and if you “feel” the odor is now in your living areas, you can get the T.O.N. and our Mini Mister and lightly “mist” down all the walls to neutralize any lingering odor where you like to be in the home.
Mini Mister: https://bugspray.com/equipment/foggers/mini-mister
Tech Support