- (301) 829-0060
- Mt. Airy, MD
- info@pestshieldinc.com
Pest Shield, Inc. has served Frederick County homeowners since 2011, with over 75 years of combined pest management experience across the team and MDA license #30263 covering bat removal and wildlife pest work. Owner Troy Yowell handles the majority of service calls personally — when you call, you speak directly with the people doing the work, not a dispatch center. Pest Shield has earned 338+ five-star reviews across Google and HomeAdvisor, including recognition as Best of Frederick MD Pest Control (2021) and Best of Nextdoor for four consecutive years.
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.
Most bat calls start the same way: you spot movement in a bedroom, living room, or hallway — sometimes at night, sometimes in the morning — and realize there’s a bat inside the house. The immediate questions are usually the same too: How did it get in? Is it dangerous? What do I do right now? Those are the right questions, and they have straightforward answers.
Bats found inside Frederick County homes are almost always one of two species — the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) or the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus). Both are common throughout the Myersville area, where wooded lots, agricultural surroundings, and older home construction create ideal conditions for bats to roost and, occasionally, to find their way inside. A single bat in a living space is usually a young bat that got disoriented, or one that followed a gap from an attic or wall void into the occupied part of the house. It is not necessarily a sign of a large colony — but it is a sign that there’s an entry point somewhere.
Common ways bats enter Myersville homes include:
One important health note: bat contact is taken seriously by public health authorities because bats are a known rabies vector in Maryland. If anyone in your household — including someone who was asleep in the room — may have had direct contact with the bat, contact the Frederick County Health Department before the bat is released or discarded. They will advise on whether post-exposure evaluation is warranted. This is not a reason to panic; the vast majority of bat encounters do not involve exposure. But it is worth a phone call if there is any uncertainty.
60+ years of combined experience. Tell us what you’re seeing — we’ll come look, no obligation.
Troy was very friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. He was able to work with my historic home (with difficult access) and treat for my termite infestation. He was very reasonable with cost as compared to other quotes, especially the big pest companies (which I would not recommend). He was incredibly respectful of my newly planted grass and garden (as he had to maneuver his supplies through it to treat). He even helped to troubleshoot a leak in that part of the house. His communication was very clear and thorough as well. Initial inspection and treatment were prompt! Would definitely recommend.
Julia · May 2022 Read on Google →
Troy was very knowledgeable and professional. He returned my calls promptly and showed up on time. I would highly recommend him to friends.
Sabrina Weedon · May 2017 Read on HomeAdvisor →
Troy was a pleasure to work with. Fingers crossed that the ants don’t come back. Got the yearly protection plan.
John Dickerson · August 2016 Read on HomeAdvisor →
General pest & rodent control
Pest Shield handles single bat extraction from living spaces and small attic situations, and same-day response is the norm for active bat-in-the-house calls. When you call (301) 829-0060, you reach Troy or a team member directly — not a call center — and they’ll assess the situation over the phone and get someone out the same day in most cases. Troy has documented same-day and after-hours availability across dozens of service calls, including Sunday service at no extra charge.
Here’s what the service call covers:
No chemical treatment is involved in bat removal. The service is safe for homes with children and pets — there’s nothing to vacate for, no residue, and no waiting period after the visit.
The free inspection applies to new clients. Pricing is discussed after the assessment, once the scope is clear. Pest Shield does not quote large jobs over the phone without seeing the property — and for a bat situation, that’s the right approach. For broader household pest concerns beyond wildlife, pest control in Myersville is available as a comprehensive ongoing service.
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.
Myersville is a small Frederick County community situated along US-40 west of Hagerstown Road, bordered by South Mountain to the west and the rolling farmland and woodlands that define this part of central Maryland. Pest Shield operates out of Mt. Airy — roughly 20 miles east — and serves all of Frederick County as part of its established service area, with Myersville well within regular routing.
The conditions that make Myersville a higher-risk area for bat entry are straightforward: older home construction with aging soffits and fascia, significant tree canopy providing roosting habitat, and agricultural surroundings that support healthy bat populations year-round. Homes built before the 1980s in this part of Frederick County commonly have the gap-and-crack vulnerabilities — deteriorating wood trim, uncapped chimneys, unsealed utility penetrations — that bats exploit most readily. The same wooded surroundings that bring bats close to homes also support populations of ticks in Myersville and mosquitoes that are worth addressing as part of overall property protection.
Pest Shield handles single bat extraction from living spaces and small attic situations, including entry point identification as part of the inspection. What falls outside their scope is large colony exclusion — situations requiring one-way exclusion device installation or Maryland DNR Letter of Exemption processes. If the inspection reveals a larger colony situation, Pest Shield will tell you directly and refer you to a wildlife control cooperator equipped for that work. That honesty about scope is intentional.
Contact the Frederick County Health Department before the bat is released or discarded. Public health guidance treats potential exposure during sleep seriously because bat bites can go unnoticed — the health department will advise whether post-exposure evaluation is warranted based on your specific situation. Pest Shield can preserve the bat for testing if needed; let them know when you call. This page cannot provide medical advice, and the health department is the right call for any exposure question.
Same-day response is the norm for active bat-in-the-house calls. Troy has documented same-day and after-hours availability across dozens of service calls, including Sunday service at no extra charge. Call (301) 829-0060 directly — you’ll reach Troy or a team member, not a dispatcher — and they’ll assess the situation and schedule accordingly.
That depends on what the entry point inspection finds. A single disoriented bat that found an incidental gap is a different situation from an active roost with multiple entry points in regular use. Pest Shield’s inspection identifies how the bat got in and whether there are signs of ongoing activity — and explains the findings clearly so you know what you’re dealing with. Sealing identified entry points is the practical next step for preventing recurrence.
Coverage varies significantly by policy and insurer — some policies cover wildlife removal or resulting damage, others exclude it entirely. Check your homeowner’s policy directly or call your insurance agent; they can tell you whether bat removal or entry point repair falls under your coverage. Pest Shield can provide documentation of findings from the inspection if your insurer requests it.
