Bats in the belfry...

[Seraphim]

Or at least in the house...

We have a bat in the house, but he’s apparently quite shy. My wife saw him fly in off the porch, and later my son saw him fly upstairs. I’ve spent hours hunting for him, but no luck so far.

Any helpful hints for how to track down this winged invader?

 

[Lightcs1776]

That's a tough one. You might try your DEC officer (or whatever they call the game wardens in your area) for ideas. The folks I have spoken to in my area have always been helpful.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Toothpick]

I had a bat in the house a few times but lucky for me it was flying around and I never lost track. I called the animal control and they were like tough cookies buddy. They ain’t coming out for no bat in your house. I caught them with a fishing net and released them outside.

I would go room by room and make racket, shake stuff up, pick stuff up, look under/over everything. Just roust it out. They will stay put for hours. They will just land and stay put. Could be anywhere. Just gotta stir up everything.

 

[troy]

We had a problem with them in our apartment building, one summer about 20 years ago. Most of the times they were in the halls between apartments, but a few made it into ours. The cats were pretty good at finding them and chasing them out into the open. I would throw a small towel over them and toss out the window. Not sure what the landlord did to get rid of them, but we lived there for 5 years and only had the problem for a month or two one year.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Bats eat insects. Probably a sign you have little critters, maybe bugs in your shaving brushes. PIF your badgers, horsies, boars...and the bat will move on.

 

[Alacrity59]

Poor little buggers. At the inlaws farm it is usually go after them with a broom. stun them and put them outside and hope for the best. I'm a big fan of bats . . . and any other critter that eats mosquitoes.

 

[Mick]

Had a very large colony (several hundred) in the wood shed for years up in the great white north. Then white nose hit and killed them all. Was 5 years before I saw them again.

They eat mosquitoes, black flys, and other flying insects.

They are great to have around as long as they are not in your house/attic.

 

[mightyeskimo]

 

[FarmerTan]

View attachment 995215

Lol. Looks like me and the War Department last year. Had two get in the house, I think through the stove pipe.

And yes, I did scream like a tiny little girl, as the War Department jumped in to action.

 

[Raissermesser]

Or at least in the house...

We have a bat in the house, but he’s apparently quite shy. My wife saw him fly in off the porch, and later my son saw him fly upstairs. I’ve spent hours hunting for him, but no luck so far.

Any helpful hints for how to track down this winged invader?

Let's see ... They like to roost in small, close, spaces, preferably high up. As a point of reference, they have been known to roost under electric insulators on power poles. They will also, depending on size, crawl into closed spaces. Have found them in meter bases. So look for anything that it could roost under or crawl into.

Be aware that bats are protected species in some places. Also be aware than the rabid bat thing is real. They also can carry other diseases. They aren't something to be feared, but should be treated like any other wild animal.

 

[Legion]

Where I live we have huge ones that fly overhead at night in large numbers. Like, carry off virgin maidens huge. Never had one come inside, thank goodness, but they make a hell of a racket in the trees outside.

Where I used to live we had the small mouse with wings sized ones, and they would sneak in from time to time. I’d find them sleeping off a picture frame or something in the day, and just grab it with my hand and chuck it out the front door. If it is flying around just shut up the room it is in and deal with it during the day. Much easier.

 

[FarmerTan]

Where I live we have huge ones that fly overhead at night in large numbers. Like, carry off virgin maidens huge. Never had one come inside, thank goodness, but they make a hell of a racket in the trees outside.

Where I used to live we had the small mouse with wings sized ones, and they would sneak in from time to time. I’d find them sleeping off a picture frame or something in the day, and just grab it with my hand and chuck it out the front door. If it is flying around just shut up the room it is in and deal with it during the day. Much easier.

You are SO much more manly than me. Wow. And yes, it doesn't take much to be manlier than me, but in my mind you are bordering on super hero rank.

 

[emwolf]

Used to have lots of them living in the park across the street from my house. I would watch them at dusk doing their crazy flying. Only up close experience was my honeymoon in Jamaica 33 years ago. We walked out of our room and there was a monster bat flying up and down the hallway. I'd never seen one that big in my life.

 

[FarmerTan]

Used to have lots of them living in the park across the street from my house. I would watch them at dusk doing their crazy flying. Only up close experience was my honeymoon in Jamaica 33 years ago. We walked out of our room and there was a monster bat flying up and down the hallway. I'd never seen one that big in my life.

And I would have impressed my new bride by screaming and leaving her in the hallway!

 

[emwolf]

And I would have impressed my new bride by screaming and leaving her in the hallway!

we both screamed like little children.

 

[oc_in_fw]

And I would have impressed my new bride by screaming and leaving her in the hallway!

When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled. Brave, brave, brave Sir Robin.

 

[Legion]

You are SO much more manly than me. Wow. And yes, it doesn't take much to be manlier than me, but in my mind you are bordering on super hero rank.

When I was a kid we used to catch and play with anything that walked, crawled or flew. I don’t have any animal phobias.

Now, if I came home and found a clown in my house, I would scream and beat him to death with a broom. Those things freak me out.

 

[Polarbeard]

Where I live we have huge ones that fly overhead at night in large numbers. Like, carry off virgin maidens huge. Never had one come inside, thank goodness, but they make a hell of a racket in the trees outside.

Where I used to live we had the small mouse with wings sized ones, and they would sneak in from time to time. I’d find them sleeping off a picture frame or something in the day, and just grab it with my hand and chuck it out the front door. If it is flying around just shut up the room it is in and deal with it during the day. Much easier.

Are there any of God's creatures in Australia that aren't huge and/or lethal? The only really dangerous creatures we have in Scandinavia are tics, that might carry TBE, and they've only been around for the last twenty years or so. Even our bats are tiny and in one of two states: dormant or eating mosquitoes.

 

[FarmerTan]

When I was a kid we used to catch and play with anything that walked, crawled or flew. I don’t have any animal phobias.

Now, if I came home and found a clown in my house, I would scream and beat him to death with a broom. Those things freak me out.

Yeah, I don't do clowns either. My son is an only child and I was his plaything, lol. When he found out I was scared of clowns, he found a poster that had a father and son photo headshot in clown makeup. He cut out their faces and his them where they would scare me. Our family should have a reality show.

 

[FarmerTan]

Yeah, I don't do clowns either. My son is an only child and I was his plaything, lol. When he found out I was scared of clowns, he found a poster that had a father and son photo headshot in clown makeup. He cut out their faces and his them where they would scare me. Our family should have a reality show.

He hid them, not his them. He's a brat.