Bat Guano and Histoplasmosis: What Macon Homeowners Should Know

Updated October 2026. Health information comes from the CDC and NIOSH; this is general information, not medical advice.

Work gloves, a disposable dust mask and safety glasses on a dusty workbench

The Short Answer

Bat guano can carry a health risk, mainly through a fungus called Histoplasma. The CDC says histoplasmosis is a lung infection caused by breathing in the fungus's spores, and that the fungus grows especially well in soil or other material with large amounts of bird or bat droppings.

Large piles of guano are best handled with protective gear, or by a company that specializes in hazardous waste, as the CDC advises. Keeping bats out of the building stops new droppings from building up at all.

What the CDC Says About Histoplasma

Histoplasma lives in soil and is found mainly in the central and eastern United States, according to the CDC, and it cannot be seen with the naked eye. Bird and bat droppings act as a source of growth for fungus already present in the soil.

Bats differ from birds in one way that matters for attics. The CDC notes that, unlike birds, bats can become infected with Histoplasma and may excrete it in their droppings.

Droppings are not the only source, and the CDC says many people who get histoplasmosis had no contact with birds, bats or droppings at all. It also advises treating any material suspected of contamination as if it contains the fungus.

Symptoms and Who Is at Higher Risk

The CDC lists fever, cough, fatigue, chills, headache, chest pain and body aches as symptoms, usually appearing 3 to 17 days after breathing in the spores. Histoplasmosis does not spread from person to person, or between people and pets.

People with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a long-term lung infection, according to the CDC. Anyone with pneumonia-like symptoms after time in a guano-filled attic should mention that exposure to a doctor, since antibiotics do not treat fungal infections.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Your own doctor, and the North Central Health District that serves Macon-Bibb and nearby counties, are the right places for health questions.

Which Activities Raise the Risk

Disturbing large accumulations of bird or bat droppings is one of the activities NIOSH names as an exposure risk, along with demolition, construction and renovation. Shoveling droppings out of a building is one of its examples.

For a Macon homeowner, the risky moments are sweeping or vacuuming an attic floor, pulling soiled insulation, or renovating a room under an old roost. Dry, dusty work is the problem.

How Guano Cleanup Is Done Safely

Dust control comes first. NIOSH's fact sheet for workers says to eliminate or reduce dust, for example by spraying water, and Georgia DNR's guidance for wildlife control operators lists HEPA vacuums for removing guano.

Respiratory protection: NIOSH lists a NIOSH-approved respirator, and DNR guidance lists respirators with removable filters, discarded after each job.
Eye protection and gloves: both appear on NIOSH's list of protective equipment.
Disposable clothing: NIOSH says disposable protective clothing and shoe coverings help prevent spreading spores to places like your car or home, and DNR guidance lists Tyvek suits, gloves and booties.
Containment: DNR guidance describes drop cloths and a clean room setup, often removed along with the guano and insulation.
Professional help for large jobs: the CDC says large amounts of bird or bat droppings should be cleaned up by a company that specializes in hazardous waste.

For the full process in a Macon attic, see bat guano cleanup and attic restoration.

Do It Yourself or Hire It Out?

A few droppings below a vent are a different matter from an attic floor covered in guano. For anything more than a small spot, the CDC's advice points to professionals, and the job should come after the bats are gone so the cleanup is not repeated.

If you do handle a small amount, wear gloves, a NIOSH-approved respirator and eye protection, wet the material first to keep dust down, and bag it for disposal. Then wash up and change out of your work clothes before getting in the car.

Is It Really Bat Guano?

Before planning a cleanup, confirm what the droppings are. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management says bat droppings crumble to powder with shiny insect fragments when crushed, while rodent droppings are harder and more fibrous, and bat droppings never contain the white chalky material seen in some bird droppings.

Either way, do the check with gloves on and without raising dust. Our guide to signs of bats in your attic covers the other clues.

Clean Equipment Protects Bats, Too

Guano cleanup gear is also cleaned for the bats' sake. Georgia DNR's guidance for operators names white-nose syndrome, first documented in the winter of 2006 to 2007, as the most significant recent threat to hibernating North American bats: the fungus attacks bats' exposed skin while they hibernate, and affected bats burn through their stored energy.

Decontamination is the main tool for slowing its spread, so DNR guidance calls for decontaminating respirators and cleaning vacuums between jobs and disposing of vacuum bags after each guano project. It is fair to ask anyone doing the work how they handle that.

Prevention: Keep the Pile From Forming

The surest way to avoid a guano problem is to keep bats from roosting in the first place. Humane exclusion, with one-way exits and then sealing, ends the roost, and Georgia DNR's April 1 to July 31 maternity window sets the timing.

Rabies is a separate concern. Georgia DNR notes that very few bats carry rabies but the disease is fatal without prompt care, so never handle a bat, and talk to your doctor or the health department after any possible contact.