In Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, in the Montérégie region, our team was approached by the manager of a commercial building housing offices on the second floor and a retail store on the ground floor. The Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu sector, located in the Richelieu Valley between Saint-Marc and Saint-Denis, borders the river and alternates between historic core, farmland and wooded corridors that promote the presence of bat colonies in semi-urban areas. Customers of the business had reported to the manager the presence of bats fluttering inside in the evening, causing some concern among customers. After an initial cursory inspection, the presence of a well-established colony in the false ceiling of the commercial premises was confirmed without a shadow of a doubt. A rapid and discreet human exclusion plan was necessary to limit the impact on commercial activities and reassure customers.
Inspection and health risk assessment
The thorough inspection of the building was carried out early in the morning, before the opening of the business, to limit disruption to employees and customers. Our technician methodically examined the façade, the roof accessible from the inside, the window seals and the air duct passages. The building, built in the early 1990s, had several loose bituminous membrane joints at the edge of the roof and gaps between the window boxes and the brick cladding. These openings, although discreet, were more than enough for the little brown bats to access the false ceiling on a daily basis. Our bat capture service systematically includes an assessment of the health risks associated with guano, especially in commercial environments where the regulations on the sanitation of public places are particularly strict.
Inspection of the false ceiling revealed a colony of about thirty individuals and a notable accumulation of guano on several acoustic tiles. These tiles had to be replaced after decontamination, a reality that was integrated into the overall action plan from the outset. Droppings had also been found in the back of the shop, indicating that one or two bats had strayed into the commercial premises, probably through a defective seal in the false ceiling. Check out our work on another commercial building in the Montérégie region to see how this type of problem is solved effectively.
Exclusion plan adapted to the business context
The exclusion was rigorously planned outside of business hours to minimize disruption. The unidirectional devices were installed in the evening on the two main entry points identified on the roof. Night monitoring was carried out on the first few nights to confirm that the bats were using the planned exits and that the entire colony was progressing towards the exit. At the same time, all window seals and duct passages were temporarily sealed with fast-setting expanding foam, to prevent animals from finding new access routes. Our work to close the ports of entry was carried out in a methodical and rigorously documented manner for the building manager’s file.
The night monitoring confirmed the gradual departure of the entire colony within five days. No bats were injured during the entire operation. Nova Extermination is committed to fully complying with the legal provisions concerning protected wildlife species in Quebec, whether in residential or commercial settings.
Decontamination and restoration of the premises
After the removal of the exclusion devices and the permanent sealing of all openings, our team proceeded to the complete decontamination of the false ceiling. The soiled acoustic tiles were removed and disposed of in accordance with the current biological waste management standards. The metal structures of the false ceiling reinforcement were cleaned and treated with disinfectant. The decontamination of roof and ceiling spaces is an operation that requires suitable professional equipment and a solid knowledge of the biological risks associated with bat guano. The manager received a complete report documenting each step of the intervention, the materials used and the results obtained, with supporting photos. This document can be presented to the municipal inspector or the insurer of the building if necessary. A follow-up check was carried out four weeks after the end of the work, confirming the total absence of reactivation of the colony in this commercial building in Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, to the great satisfaction of the manager and the commercial tenants.