I just woke up to......Update

[DawnM]

A BAT flying around my room!

I am SOOOOO freaked out!

My husband is trying to kill it right now.

Dawn

 

[dwaddict]

That is the scariest thing in the world! We use to live in a VERY old house in the country and they came in through the chimney, which as we found out had no grate! I was horrified! Never slept right after that!! Hope he gets it and you can go back to bed!!

 

[sammyteach]

Arent bats protected where you live they are in the uk. Try to let it out....having said that i like bats but am scared of moths and wouldnt be saying let them horrible flappy creatures go

 

[a1tinkfans]

Last nite we SEARCHED for them in the nite skies. They eat the mosquitos and really are harmless. We saw a few in our yard!!!
More afraid of you then you are of them.
PLEASE consider just opening your windows to let it out!!
Good Luck!!

 

[Starr W.]

My mom had one living outside her front door, she called a local kritter removal company(they catch and release in an appropriate area).

We had a bird come down our chimney when I was a kid, we just opened all the windows and doors and kind of "directed" him out with brooms.

 

[DawnM]

Ok, we were up for hours trying to locate the thing and then when we did, we tried to get it out the window. It wouldn't go.

DH used a broom to try and shoo him out....in the end, he fell over (possibly dead?) and we scooped him up and put him outside.

We did NOT sleep much last night and when I did go back to bed it was with a light on!

Dawn

 

[Tikicampers]

If it's still there, you may want to have animal control come and get it. We are having a rabies problem around here, and from what I've heard some people don't feel a bat's bite because of the flapping. It was in an article I just read. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[dis-happy]

Oh my, bats carry rabies. Don't throw out the bat, save it and call animal control tomorrow so it can be tested.

 

[WDWorBUST]

Definitely get that bat and have it tested. I believe the article was in Parents magazine because it freaked me out. It said that the puncture wounds are so small a bat can bite you and you not feel it and since they do carry rabies it makes them very dangerous.

 

[Tikicampers]

Definitely get that bat and have it tested. I believe the article was in Parents magazine because it freaked me out. It said that the puncture wounds are so small a bat can bite you and you not feel it and since they do carry rabies it makes them very dangerous.

I think you are right. I get Parents. Once you have symptoms of rabies, it is usally too late to treat it. I'm not for harming bats that are outdoors, but if I found one in my house, I would want it tested.

 

[annie1995]

I think you are right. I get Parents. Once you have symptoms of rabies, it is usally too late to treat it. I'm not for harming bats that are outdoors, but if I found one in my house, I would want it tested.

Yup, I read that one too. I also remember reading that a family found one in their garage, and had it tested purely on the chance it could have bitten their infant son without their knowing about it. Save it and get it tested for sure. Yikes I hate bats !!

 

[DawnM]

Ok, so where do I take this bat to be tested?

UGH! This is scaring me!

Dawn

 

[annie1995]

Ok, so where do I take this bat to be tested?

UGH! This is scaring me!

Dawn

I would first start by calling your local animal control or health department. Our animal control has hours on weekends, so yours might too. Tell them that it was flying around your bedroom, and knowing that bats can sometimes bite without the person knowing they were bit, you would like it tested for rabies. Make sure you don't touch it though. Use a shovel and put it in a bag. Let them know you have young children in the home too. If they won't test, I'd call your kids doctors, and see what they say. They might have some pull on getting it tested too. Good Luck and KUP!!!

 

[marcyinPA]

We've been there, done that! We live in an old house, across the street from a church(with a bell tower). We've probably had 2 or 3 of the little critters in 8 years.

My DH tries to catch them in a towel and then lets them back out.

Hope you get some sleep tonight!

Marcy

 

[Willow25]

You've done well I would have peed my pants.

 

[Goofydiane]

A BAT flying around my room!

I am SOOOOO freaked out!

My husband is trying to kill it right now.

Dawn

I remember when I was 10 or 11, my brother left his window open at night (without a screen) and a bat flew in his room and through the door into the room I shared with my sister. I screamed, my dad came running and my sister who was in the bathroom jumped up on the counter! Bat left my room and flew in/out of the bathroom really fast and you hear a big 'thunk'! That was my sister going from the counter to the ground very fast - she thought I had seen a mouse!

I remember sleeping with something around my neck for months, I still pull the blanket up like a cocoon many, many, many years later!

 

[DawnM]

Oh, my! Well, I will call first thing tomorrow morning.

I am so very sick right now with some flu bug and without adequate sleep last night, I am a wreck!

I will never, ever sleep without the bathroom or closet light on again and the door cracked!

I KNEW there was a reason I was afraid of the dark!

Dawn

 

[momof5boys]

Yes, please get the bat tested. CDC guidelines state that if you were sleeping and awoke to a bat flying around your room you should get rabies vaccination. If you get the bat tested you may be able to avoid that. Yest just had a family of 5 in our ER getting their first round of shots. Some places will even start the shots before the animal is tested and then stop the vaccination process if the animal tests negative. Vaccination involves getting rabies immunglobulin injections (these are based on your weight, injections go in your behind) and rabavert(this shot goes in your arm) You get another of the arm shots at day 3,7,14 and 28.(I'm pretty sure that's right don't have the paper in front of me) Good luck

 

[annie1995]

Dawn, I hope you are feeling better today, and were able to get some rest. What were you able to find out about the bat today? Will they test it for you or do you all just have to get shots? I'm Thinking of you guys

 

[DawnM]

Thanks.

They asked me a lot of questions and told me that I really don't need to be too concerned. Not sure if that is accurate or not, but they said that fewer than 1/2 of 1% of all bats have rabies and you have a much higher chance of contracting it from a dog or cat.

Dawn

Dawn, I hope you are feeling better today, and were able to get some rest. What were you able to find out about the bat today? Will they test it for you or do you all just have to get shots? I'm Thinking of you guys