Ridge vents around here all have hardware cloth or expanded metal screens to keep out things like birds & squirrels, should keep out batt's too I suppose.

Would think your sawdust in time eventually will have the air move it around enough that it finally nearly quits appearing.

You need plenty of attic ventilation here in florida to help cool of course but probably more importantly to keep the moisture out otherwise wood's gonna rot, molds are gonna grow. Bad things happen fast when you block roof ventilation.

I have a ridge vent now but it does not keep my attic cool in really hot weather. I have black shingles (mistake) and live way up north. Our house stays hot all night during 90+ temps. We have plenty of insulation in the attic too. The attic just stays hot even after dark.

I am now putting in a power gable vent (or two if needed) on a thermostat.

I used a ridge vent(Shingle Vent II) on the garage. In addition I installed fiberglass batt insulation in between the rafter spaces since it is a stick framed roof. But prior to doing the insulation, I installed stryrofoam channels on the underside of the roof decking in the rafter bays. This allows you to put the insulation in without blocking any airflow from the soffit vents to the ridge vent. Without that airflow, those vents are not going to work right. And you need the proper amount of soffit venting as well.

My garage is definitely cooler in hot weather.

You should have nothing coming in a ridge vent. Were the end caps installed, or did they fall out?

Please be careful about those bats. I posted elsewhere but will do so here too. We recently had a teen die from a bat that flew into his bedroom one night. Houston is on "bat watch" as 13 rabid bats have been found so far this year. You can google rabid bats houston to learn more Hopefully it is just a fluke and not a rash of something bad to come. I know bats are considered good...... but PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

Thanks for the all the advice. I'm going to contact the company that reroofed the house.

As for bats, we found two bats weeks apart in the house about three years ago. One late at night - my oldest son was still up, and he saw it sort of flying around downstairs. Woke me and my husband and then we got it in a box and threw it outside. The next one I found was dead - it fell out of clothes I was sorting from the hamper. We threw it away. Mistake, as I found out when we finally had critter control come out about a month later to look over things. We should have had the dead bat tested. My husband, son, and I went through rabies shots, just to be on the safe side, since the dead bat was in our bedroom. Though a month later was almost too late in case we had been infected.

It was really sad about the boy who died. I remember reading about it.

Do you have a chimney? If so, is there a chimney cap over it?

Bats love to nest and sleep and chimneys.

Michael

Yes, we have a chimney cap.