Bats in the attic

[Poohlove]

Over the weekend I went up into my attic for the first time in a few months and found what looked like mouse droppings but bigger. I called the exterminator first thing Monday morning sure that there was a squirrel or chipmunks. When they came out this morning I found out my childhood nightmare has come true, I have bats in my attic. According to the exterminator there are about 2-5 and they are male. How he can tell from their Doo Doo I'm not sure but he seemed very knowledgeable. Since bats are protected they aren't able to start with the exclusion until August 1st, they will set up cones that the bats will fly out of but can't get back into. After about a week they will come back out and seal everything up so the bats can't move back in and somewhere in there the company cleans up the droppings. I am so freaked out even though the exterminator assures me that the chances of encountering one of the bats is very small. Has anyone else had any experience with bats for tenants?

 

[sonnyjane]

The issue with bats is that they can be carriers of disease, namely rabies. They aren't harmful (not the type of bat you're talking about), but if you find any, alive or dead, do not touch them without gloves.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

In my house, no, but I've worked with them in other settings. They're not vicious animals out for your blood; they're actually quite timid and just want to be left alone. It sounds like the exterminator has a good plan for removing them, so just keep out of the attic in the meantime. In the future, you could consider putting up a bat house somewhere on your property that's a more appropriate location for them to roost -- they're great at controlling the insect population. I'd take a handful of bats over tens of thousands of disease-carrying mosquitos any day.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

We had them in our garage years ago - in the winter! The guy we called was stunned because they should have been hibernating but we could hear them scratching and hissing. Every time I opened my garage door they'd make this hissing sound. It was awful. He came back in April and put in some flap thing over some gaps we had in our doors, waited a for a few days then he came back, poked around with a wire rod into all the sheetrock gaps where he had found them, nothing hissed back at him so he sealed everything up and we've been fine.

Not sure how they can tell if they're male or female etc but we were told that he had to get them out in early April otherwise he'd have to wait until August because in between is when the babies are born and if he eliminated the adult bats from coming back into the garage then any babies we may have would die and rot and stink!

 

[King Schultz]

I've been accused of having 'bats in my belfry' but never had it confirmed by a professional.

 

[BrianL]

In my house, no, but I've worked with them in other settings. They're not vicious animals out for your blood; they're actually quite timid and just want to be left alone. It sounds like the exterminator has a good plan for removing them, so just keep out of the attic in the meantime. In the future, you could consider putting up a bat house somewhere on your property that's a more appropriate location for them to roost -- they're great at controlling the insect population. I'd take a handful of bats over tens of thousands of disease-carrying mosquitos any day.

I second the bat box idea. Bats are cool animals and not harmful. Certainly you don't want them roosting in your attic, but they can be quite beneficial to have around. I have a pool, so I see bats dip down sometimes to scoop up a bug on the surface or get a drink. I think they roost in the storm ditch behind my house. They don't bother me being around.

 

[Poohlove]

In my house, no, but I've worked with them in other settings. They're not vicious animals out for your blood; they're actually quite timid and just want to be left alone. It sounds like the exterminator has a good plan for removing them, so just keep out of the attic in the meantime. In the future, you could consider putting up a bat house somewhere on your property that's a more appropriate location for them to roost -- they're great at controlling the insect population. I'd take a handful of bats over tens of thousands of disease-carrying mosquitos any day.

I never noticed bats around my house, a bat house is something that I will look into because I also don't want the mosquitoes. I have such an irrational fear of bats though, it has brought many moments of entertainment to my friends and family but that is a totally different thread altogether

There isn't much in my attic but a couple of hampers of clothes which aren't sealed. The exterminator said that I could bring them down to get them out of the line of fire but to wear gloves and a mask just in case. They are right at the top of the steps so I have a plan in place which involves masks, gloves and trashbags and things going out the window down to the driveway. The alternative would be to have to throw it all away.

 

[Poohlove]

We had them in our garage years ago - in the winter! The guy we called was stunned because they should have been hibernating but we could hear them scratching and hissing. Every time I opened my garage door they'd make this hissing sound. It was awful. He came back in April and put in some flap thing over some gaps we had in our doors, waited a for a few days then he came back, poked around with a wire rod into all the sheetrock gaps where he had found them, nothing hissed back at him so he sealed everything up and we've been fine.

Not sure how they can tell if they're male or female etc but we were told that he had to get them out in early April otherwise he'd have to wait until August because in between is when the babies are born and if he eliminated the adult bats from coming back into the garage then any babies we may have would die and rot and stink!

The technician that was out this morning said that bats are protected so there are "seasons" when the exclusions can be conducted because of the babies. Thankfully he didn't see any and followed up with saying that because there were only a couple we probably wouldn't see any bats at all.

I don't think that it's the bats that scare me so much as it is that my dad convinced me as a young child that all bats have rabies. Now as an adult who knows better the rational part of my brain and the experts tell me that isn't true it's still in the back of my head and scares the daylights out of me.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

The technician that was out this morning said that bats are protected so there are "seasons" when the exclusions can be conducted because of the babies. Thankfully he didn't see any and followed up with saying that because there were only a couple we probably wouldn't see any bats at all.

I don't think that it's the bats that scare me so much as it is that my dad convinced me as a young child that all bats have rabies. Now as an adult who knows better the rational part of my brain and the experts tell me that isn't true it's still in the back of my head and scares the daylights out of me.

Less than 1%. Rest easy. http://earthsky.org/earth/have-researchers-busted-the-bat-rabies-stereotype

 

[Donnainnj]

As a child we had a bat get into the house. For three days and nights my mom wore a full face motorcycle helmet any time she was in the house.

 

[mom2rtk]

I would burn the house down.









OK, maybe not. But I'd want too. Good luck!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

What a "poopy" situation. Too bad you cant legally take the "bat" to them. But it's nothing to get "batty" over. Until august, I guess you'll just have to "wing" it. Hey. Maybe they're Zubats from Pokemon Go.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Yes, we did have one in our attic when I was a kid. (I know because when I opened the door, it flew out of the attic.) It startled me, but at the same time I've always been kind of fascinated by them. I think my dad caught it in a pillowcase or something.

But if you can live without those clothes for two weeks, I'd suggest not opening the attic door until the guy comes back, and stuffing a folded up towel in the gap between the door and the floor. (Rather like cats, they're kind of smaller than they look.)

 

[Poohlove]

I always said that if a bat ever ended up in the house that would be game over, I would have to move. I just love my house so much

Here is a good epic freak out story for you all, I can laugh about it now but at the time I about had a nervous breakdown. When reading this story keep in mind that I am normally a very level headed, rational person. To my family and friends I am the one everyone calls when they are having everything from a moment to a full blown crisis.

About 8 years ago we were living in a different house on the other side of town from where we live now. The people who lived behind us had some very tall evergreen trees cut down, they apparently housed some bats. Unbeknownst to me, the bats took up residence in our soffits. I had seen some weird stuff on the ground but never thought too much of it. My son who was 10 at the time was outside with our dog and came running in the laundry room all upset about some weird looking thing that the dog was messing with outside. He described it as a baby frog meets baby bird, never in my wildest dreams did I think bat but lo and behold there it was. A baby bat scrambling up the foundation of the house. Immediately my thoughts go to the Mystery Diagnosis show that I had seen a few days earlier (I don't watch these types of shows for this reason) where the crackhead was too out of it to notice that he had been bitten by a bat and needless to say ends up dying of rabies. I called the vet, she said to bring my poor dog in the next day for a rabies booster (she was of course UTD on her shots) and not to worry. Here is where the epic part comes in - I called the pediatrician who must have thought that I was bat**** crazy. I made my kids stay home from their dads that night and sleep in my bed so that I could watch them. The next morning after only a few hours of sleep I go down to the laundry room to find that a sock had clogged the utility sink and the sink overflowed and there was a huge mess all over the floor. I went outside to hang some stuff on the line and there is this bat again. I called animal control who responded pretty quickly. The poor bat was just a baby and the officer explained to me that the babies ride on the mother's backs until they are old enough to fly on their own and sometimes they fall off but that they would send it off to be tested for rabies. Meantime, kids go to their dads and dog goes to the vet. The vet said for good measure to keep the dog isolated, like in a crate, until the rabies results come back. My dad offered to keep her for a couple of days which I gladly took him up on even though I knew that I was being totally ridiculous. Thankfully the results came back negative and all was good with the world again but wow - I was so scared out of my mind for about a week.

 

[Poohlove]

Yes, we did have one in our attic when I was a kid. (I know because when I opened the door, it flew out of the attic.) It startled me, but at the same time I've always been kind of fascinated by them. I think my dad caught it in a pillowcase or something.

But if you can live without those clothes for two weeks, I'd suggest not opening the attic door until the guy comes back, and stuffing a folded up towel in the gap between the door and the floor. (Rather like cats, they're kind of smaller than they look.)

I went to the top of the steps grabbed my baskets and came right back down, lol Like a well executed mission. I wore gloves and a mask and dropped the baskets out the window into the driveway lol. My towels are back tucked securely into the crack at the bottom of the door and now that door will not be opened again until the exterminator comes back

 

[winterman]

About 25 years ago we had bats in the house. Actually it was only one at a time but happened 2 or 3 times. When it became dark outside we open the door in the living room and turned off all the lights in the house except one at the opposite end of the house from the open door. It didn't take too long for it to fly out.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I have a bat freak out story.

I was in a remote area of Kenya and the toilets at our camp were in tiny, individual tents. I went to use the bathroom and the tent zipper would only close about halfway. Oh well, gotta make do. (TMI warning.) I've got my pants down, hovering over the toilet when a bat flew into my head. In one swift motion, I hurled myself sideways out of the partially-zippered tent, trying to yank my pants up as I went, and landed on the ground outside. The bats were roosting above the toilet, a situation I'd run into many more times on that trip.

I generally have a "bats are no big deal attitude," but it's a bit different when one unexpectedly flies into your head while you're, um, indisposed in the wilds of Africa.

 

[sonnyjane]

I have a bat freak out story.

I was in a remote area of Kenya and the toilets at our camp were in tiny, individual tents. I went to use the bathroom and the tent zipper would only close about halfway. Oh well, gotta make do. (TMI warning.) I've got my pants down, hovering over the toilet when a bat flew into my head. In one swift motion, I hurled myself sideways out of the partially-zippered tent, trying to yank my pants up as I went, and landed on the ground outside. The bats were roosting above the toilet, a situation I'd run into many more times on that trip.

I generally have a "bats are no big deal attitude," but it's a bit different when one unexpectedly flies into your head while you're, um, indisposed in the wilds of Africa.

Why do they go for heads I wonder? The only times I've really encountered them, they've always dive-bombed my head/hair.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Why do they go for heads I wonder? The only times I've really encountered them, they've always dive-bombed my head/hair.

This one wasn't trying to dive bomb me, he was just trying to get out of the tent, which required flying in a tight space past my head.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Lived with my Aunt and Uncle for one summer right after I turned 14 to babysit their kids while my parents packed up and moved the rest of our family - bedroom was in the attic. Bats every night. Told my Aunt and Uncle who didn't do anything. I actually got used to them flying around every night.

I'm surprised I didn't get sick.