.20 Operations and Procedure — Bats.

A. A wildlife damage control operator shall remove bats only by nonlethal methods, except when a State or local public health department requires lethal removal.

B. A wildlife damage control operator may capture and release individual bats that enter a dwelling or office outside near the building.

C. Bat colonies containing more than 10 adults, whether or not young are present, require prior approval from the Service to be excluded from buildings from March 1 to August 31.

D. Bat colonies containing 10 or fewer adults do not require prior approval from the Service for exclusion at any time of the year.

E. Exclusion of a bat colony and sealing of active entrances into the building shall take place before hibernation.

F. A wildlife damage control operator may install and leave in place exclusion devices for hibernating bats until the colony emerges in the spring.

G. A wildlife damage control operator may seal bat entrances after the bat colony is excluded from the building.