Shop improvements and upgrades. Better Space!

[Advanced Design]

So I got the bucket truck out.

[Advanced Design]

Went up to the roof peak...

[Advanced Design]

Admired the view a little...

[Advanced Design]

And did a temporary test block on this opening...I was in a hurry and will replace with screen or expanded metal.

[Advanced Design]

Then I left the big doors open until dusk. Bats were flying around in the rafters. One flew out and others didn’t. Closed the doors then repeated the next evening. Went on a two day trip and....

Ok that didn’t work yet. Plugged the same hole at peak on other end of shop then repeat the doors open until after dusk. Will check it when we return.

While I don’t want to eliminate the bats and prefer they move to one of the old barns here, I also don’t want them dumping all over the vehicles, floor and trailer.

Next up will be trying one or two of these...https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DLC8HOO...ing=UTF8&psc=1

And I am way open for ideas!

[wahl4m]

doug -i hope these do the job ??? i have been plaged ? with carpenter bees ! seems like they want to bore holes everywhere ?? anyway im trying traps /sprays & they are on the decline ?? take care -your shop keeps looking better ! keep me in mind -im looking for a bucket truck -i sold my trailer -with a 30 ft boom/ bucket -real handy ! but a guy came a long w/a fist full of cash! it was great BUT it only extended in the knucke of the boom- would of been better if it telescoped out !! anyway take care !

[mongocanfly]

Those are some cool aerial views you've got from the truck....theres a local exterminator guy who uses a ultrasonic bat chaser .....maybe thatll work....

[Advanced Design]

Thanks Mike. I’ve had a few of the carpenter bees drilling on the front posts though fortunately they haven’t been too bad.

Thanks Greg, I might give the ultra sonic noise makers a try. I have my doubts it will work due to the size of the building. I will probably need to seal around all the rafters and roof to wall intersection. Thinking bats can get through those tight spaces.

The views are really flat around here and it is very quiet. We usually stop what we are doing to wave at the occasional car that drives by.

[Advanced Design]

And I still have bats....

[lower50's]

Darn!! At least you have less bugs.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by lower50's

Darn!! At least you have less bugs.

Yeah, with the pond close and a river a little ways behind us the bats usually have pretty good feasting around here.

Figured I am going to fix this the right way.

So I was Googling bats and came across http://www.thebatguy.com

He is a little too far away, so he hooked me up with an expert about an hour from me. He will come by next week to evaluate.

[richard2717]

Bats can be a blessing outside but man are they a mess inside. They along with a super huge nest of cattle hornets have all but taken over my neighbors garage. He can't even go in anymore and is talking about burning it down lol

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by richard2717

Bats can be a blessing outside but man are they a mess inside. They along with a super huge nest of cattle hornets have all but taken over my neighbors garage. He can't even go in anymore and is talking about burning it down lol

Yeah it is frustrating. We spent years saving the cash for this upgrade and the new concrete is guano stained.

Hmm...what are cattle hornets? Based on the name they sound wicked.

[richard2717]

Not sure of the real name of them but it is what we have always called them. they are pretty large, about the size of an adult thumb. They are not aggressive like the white faced hornets we have around here. The white faced ones will chase you and keep stinging you until you get away or pass out from the stings. The yellow ones seem to keep near the cattle eating the bugs right out of the air. The build giant nests similar to the picture here. The one they have in his garage office upstairs is stuck right to the wall of the office and was about 3-4' tall and 18" diameter last time I saw it. I don't go up there anymore bc the building has fallen into disrepair. I have them come in my shop every once in a while and unless you mess up and hit one without killing it, they won't bother you. you can swat at them to just get them out and they still wont become aggressive. I try not to kill them because of the bug eating they do.

I am not sure if the picture I have posted is the exact one but it is pretty close. Just a random pic off the net. I have asked them several times to sit still for a pic and it never works out

.

[Advanced Design]

Holy cow those are huge wasps! Thinking I might rather deal with bats.

[mongocanfly]

Doug ...Did you try the untrasonic stuff?....that really sucks with them messing on your new floor...

[lower50's]

I'm glad we don't have hornets that big up here.

[nlped]

That is a big A$$ hornet. I’m glad we don’t have those down here.

[richard2717]

I don't have much issue with these hornets. They will 99% of the time leave you alone but have been know to make people hurt themselves trying to get away from them

The white face ones are the devil though. You can cut your eyes at them from 50 ft and they think you need to be stung.... then stung again and again........ and you will look like you have golf balls under your skin.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Doug ...Did you try the untrasonic stuff?....that really sucks with them messing on your new floor...

I didn’t. All the reviews I read talked about clearing out a small area in a porch or house attic, which would be a pretty small area. Since this building is 60 x 100 feet and has a fairly steep roof pitch, it has a lot of cubic volume to impact with some sound generators. So, instead of spending money on a great number of those, I decided to put the money toward sealing up the building.

The bat expert was here, looked it all over and explained the bats can squeeze through an area 3/8” x 5/8”. I’m gonna fix this permanently, so he should be here in a couple weeks to seal up all the entry points. There is a lot of linear feet there.

And the builder will be coming back to soffit in the gable ends, sealing that area as well. Take that you stupid crapping bats!

Then we will do something to make the floor look good again. Really p.o. about the staining.

[mongocanfly]

3/8×5/8?????...wow...I never would have thought that...

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

3/8×5/8?????...wow...I never would have thought that...

Me neither! Serious effort to fix this...

So we got a little bit of a start in the battle of the bats. Builder is back with his man lift towed by the custom bed side truck.

[Advanced Design]

They will install the gable end soffits, sealing that area off from the pesky bats.

[Advanced Design]

OK, so the bats won’t be getting through there anymore. And it looks better finished out too. West gable end done today and they should do the East end tomorrow.

Then the bat guy comes back to seal up about 380 linear feet of gap around the top of the wall.

[mongocanfly]

Looks good....