A one-of-a-kind business has come to Guthrie County. Paul Dawson says complaints among friends and neighbors of bats infesting their attics is what led him to start Ace’s Animal Control in Guthrie Center. Dawson says not anybody can offer animal removal services. He is a certified Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO). Just one of two in the county. The other one, Allen Sayre of Guthrie Center’s Hilltop Outdoor Supply, says he doesn’t trap bats.

Despite his unique job, Dawson says he’s not a hunter. He tries to act humanely and avoid harming the animals at all costs. “I just noticed that there was a controversy that bats are getting into houses in Guthrie County and people don’t know who to call to remove them. I’m a ‘no kill’ person, unless I absolutely have to kill an animal due to rabies or temper or something.”

Dawson says the worst thing about having bats in your attic isn’t the bats. It’s what they leave behind. Bat droppings, known as guano, can rot through wood and are putrid enough to cause respiratory damage if inhaled for an extended period of time. Dawson will tell us more about wild animal infestations today on Let’s Talk Guthrie County. It airs during the 9 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. hours on K107.9 and www.raccoonvalleyradio.com