High on a ladder, Hanks begins by bat-proofing a building with caulk, leaving open only a few strategic holes to be outfitted with his excluders. One of their most recent joint projects is evicting thousands of bats from several stadiums at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The effort has gained national attention because the university is also building alternative housing for the bats. The new roost is experimental and potentially will accommodate as many as 200,000 bats. While Hanks likes bats, he realizes that most people don't appreciate having large colonies in their home because bats can stain ceilings and cause odor problems.
Many people also fear bats, something Hanks works hard to dispel.
He tells of one family who was so frightened that they moved out until he could get there. Two weeks later when he went to assess the situation, he found food still on the table where their meal had been abruptly interrupted. Other tales include one man shooting up the inside of his house in a frantic attempt to get rid of a few bats, and another who woke up the neighborhood with her terrified screams, leaped through a screen window trying to escape, and landed in the driveway. Later, Hanks could find only three bats. Marshall Hanks also deals with the aftermath.