- (301) 829-0060
- Mt. Airy, MD
- info@pestshieldinc.com
Pest Shield, Inc. has served Frederick County homeowners since 2011, operating under Maryland Department of Agriculture license MDA #30263 with over 75 years of combined pest management experience across the team. Owner Troy Yowell handles the majority of service calls personally and brings the same methodical inspection approach to bat situations that he applies to every pest problem. For bat removal specifically, Pest Shield handles single-bat extractions from living spaces and small attic situations — and is straightforward about what falls outside that scope.
How it works
Four steps. No surprises. Same answer whether it's your first call or your tenth.
You reach Troy or someone on his team directly. No call center, no dispatcher, no routing.
Same-day or next-day for most calls. Emergency stinging-insect situations and real-estate WDI deadlines get priority.
We identify the species, locate entry points, and find the source — not just the symptom.
Written recommendation, straightforward pricing, no obligation. If you don't need treatment, we'll tell you.
A bat in the house is one of those situations that stops everything. Whether it’s circling a bedroom at 2 a.m. or discovered resting on a curtain rod, the immediate reaction is usually a mix of alarm and uncertainty — and that’s a reasonable response. Knowing what you’re actually dealing with helps.
Middletown’s location in the valley between South Mountain and Catoctin Mountain — with significant tree cover, proximity to agricultural land, and a mix of older residential construction — supports healthy bat populations. The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) are both common in Frederick County and regularly roost in structures. Older homes in Middletown and the surrounding countryside, particularly those with stone foundations, aging wood soffits, or gaps around rooflines that come with older construction, are more susceptible to bat entry than newer builds.
One concern worth addressing directly: any bat found in a living space where human contact cannot be ruled out — especially overnight, or in a room with a sleeping person — warrants a call to the Frederick County Health Department. This is standard public health guidance because rabies exposure from bats can occur without a visible bite. Pest Shield can handle the removal; the health department advises on whether post-exposure evaluation is appropriate for anyone in the home.
60+ years of combined experience. Tell us what you’re seeing — we’ll come look, no obligation.
Troy was very knowledgeable, professional, courteous, and prompt. They eliminated my mice problem and came out for follow up visit to seal off any entry points from outside. Very reasonably priced for the service provided. Used top notch products, instead of just sitting out glue traps. Highly recommend them.
Kevin Smith · February 2016 Read on HomeAdvisor →
Troy gave me honest feedback and even suggested that I didn’t really need a treatment at this time, which saved me money. He inspected my basement and explained that there is old damage from beetles and also what the limitations of treatment were. Very helpful and informative and reasonably priced.
Anna West · August 2022 Read on Google →
Troy is a true professional. He accommodated my schedule by coming after hours to do an inspection. I had gotten a “free inspection” from another BIG, WELL-KNOWN company and they had me believing I had live termites. I was suspicious when they didn’t show up for the initial treatment, and more so when I got conflicting information from people at their company. Turns out I didn’t have termites, and Troy was straight up, didn’t try to rip me off with a service I didn’t need. He SAVED me $1400 and I will surely use him in the future if I ever have a pest problem of any kind! Go Pest Shield!
Marion Entwisle · June 2014 Read on HomeAdvisor →
General pest & rodent control
Every bat call starts with an inspection. Troy or a technician assesses the property to identify how the bat entered, whether there’s evidence of a roost, and what the appropriate response is. That assessment shapes everything that follows — because a single disoriented bat that found a gap in a window screen is a different situation than a colony that has been roosting in an attic for a season, and the two require different responses.
For single-bat extractions from living spaces and small attic situations, Pest Shield handles the removal directly. The work involves locating the bat, safely extracting it without harm to the animal or the occupants, and identifying the entry point or points that allowed access. Entry point identification is part of the service — knowing where the bat came in is what makes the visit useful beyond the immediate removal.
It’s worth being direct about scope: Pest Shield does not perform large colony exclusion. That work — which involves installing one-way exclusion devices, coordinating with the Maryland DNR, and navigating the state’s seasonal restrictions on exclusion during bat maternity season (typically May through August, when young bats cannot yet fly and exclusion is prohibited) — is a specialized wildlife control service. When an inspection reveals a colony situation that requires that level of work, Pest Shield refers those situations to wildlife control cooperators. That referral is honest and in the homeowner’s interest; attempting colony exclusion without the right approach causes more problems than it solves.
Bat handling requires proper technique. Bats should not be handled with bare hands — not because bats are aggressive, but because proper handling protects both the animal and the person doing the work. Troy’s team brings the same careful, methodical approach to bat situations that they apply to every service call: assess first, act on what’s actually there, and explain what was found. No chemical treatment is involved in bat removal — this is physical extraction and structural assessment work.
After the removal, you’ll have a clear picture of how the bat entered and what, if anything, needs to be addressed to prevent recurrence. For situations where sealing entry points is warranted, that conversation happens as part of the inspection — not as an upsell after the fact. Homeowners dealing with other pest pressures alongside a bat situation can also ask about comprehensive pest management in Middletown to address the broader picture.
Owner
Founded Pest Shield in 2011 after years as a pest management contractor on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around 35 years in pest management. Personally handles or leads the majority of service calls.
Pest Management Specialist
Field technician handling residential and commercial service calls across Frederick, Carroll, and Montgomery counties.
Pest Management Specialist
Field technician handling residential and commercial service calls across the service area.
Our Entomologist
Consulting entomologist on species identification, conducive conditions, and treatment strategy for difficult cases.
Middletown sits in a broad valley between South Mountain to the east and Catoctin Mountain to the west, along MD Route 40 in central Frederick County. The town is roughly 7 miles southwest of Frederick and is surrounded by farmland, woodlots, and older residential neighborhoods that extend into the foothills. Pest Shield serves Middletown as part of its Frederick County coverage area, alongside Myersville, Boonsboro Road corridor communities, and the broader western Frederick County region.
The combination of mature tree cover, proximity to mountain ridgelines, and a housing stock that includes a significant share of older construction makes bat entry a realistic concern for Middletown homeowners. Stone foundations, aging wood soffits, and gaps where rooflines meet older siding are common in homes built before modern construction standards — and bats need only a gap the width of a finger to enter. Properties near the wooded edges of South Mountain State Park and Gathland State Park see consistent bat activity through the warm months, and the same conditions that attract bats can also draw mice seeking entry points into the structure.
Don’t try to catch or handle the bat with bare hands. Contain it to the room if possible by closing interior doors, and keep people and pets out. If the bat was in a room where someone was sleeping or where a child or pet was present and direct contact cannot be ruled out, call the Frederick County Health Department — they advise on whether post-exposure evaluation is appropriate. That’s standard public health guidance for any bat found in a living space, not a reason to panic. Then call Pest Shield at (301) 829-0060 to schedule a removal and inspection. Troy can typically respond same-day for active situations.
Pest Shield handles single-bat extractions from living spaces and small attic situations, including entry point identification. Large colony exclusion — which involves one-way exclusion devices, Maryland DNR coordination, and navigating the state’s maternity season restrictions — is a different service that requires specialized wildlife control work. When an inspection reveals a colony situation, Pest Shield refers those cases to wildlife control cooperators. That’s an honest answer, and it’s in your interest: colony exclusion done incorrectly or at the wrong time of year creates bigger problems than it solves.
The inspection assesses how the bat entered, whether there’s evidence of a roost (guano, staining, repeated entry points), and what the scope of the situation actually is. Troy or a technician examines the exterior of the structure — soffits, roofline gaps, fascia boards, areas where different materials meet — as well as the interior space where the bat was found. The goal is to give you an accurate picture of what you’re dealing with before any work is done, not to recommend treatment before the situation is understood. The inspection is free for new clients.
Maryland’s maternity season restrictions (typically May through August) apply specifically to bat exclusion work — the installation of one-way devices that prevent bats from re-entering a roost. During that period, young bats cannot yet fly, and exclusion is prohibited because it would trap them inside. Single-bat extraction from a living space is a different situation and is not subject to the same seasonal restriction. If your inspection reveals a colony that requires exclusion work, timing matters and Pest Shield will be straightforward about what can and can’t be done in a given season.
Entry point identification is part of what Pest Shield’s inspection covers. Bats typically enter through gaps at rooflines, around soffits, where fascia boards have aged or separated, or at any opening larger than roughly three-eighths of an inch. In older Middletown homes — particularly those with stone construction or aging wood trim — these gaps are common and not always visible from the ground. After the removal, Troy will tell you what he found and whether sealing specific entry points is warranted. That conversation is part of the service visit, not a separate upsell.
