bat problem

eurycea12 · #1 04/07/07, 06:52 AM

Does anyone here have any suggestions/advice on encouraging bats to move? Friends of mine have had an ongoing problem with bats moving into their garage every spring. I am not sure of the species but they are migratory to northern PA as they leave every fall.
My friends have tried mothballs and closing up the old two story garage did not work.
Has anyone heard of or used sulpher candles? They asked me about them and I have not seen them. They remember some old timers using them to encourage bats to move on. I researched them and to the best of my knowledge they are no longer available in this country.
So tell me about your bat problems/solutions so I can pass them on.
TIA

Sand Flat Bob · #2 04/07/07, 06:59 AM

Contact this organization: www.batcon.org

speshuled · #3 04/07/07, 07:00 AM

i'm just the opposite . i've been encouraging the bats to move in , by hanging bat houses in the trees around my pond . this might work for them also , if they give the bats a better place to roost , the bats might stay out of the garage .

Kazahleenah · #4 04/07/07, 07:02 AM

and to think.... I have a friend making me a few bat houses to entice bats to move here! lol. Natural bug eaters they are...

(Then again, I also have praying mantis sacs to hatch in the garden to)

Kaza

deaconjim · #5 04/07/07, 07:05 AM

Start by making sure the bats are not in the garage at the moment, and then go in and put screen wire over any opening large enough for the bats to get through (basically anything large enough to get a pencil through). Your friend may need to go inside at night (again with no bats present) and turn on a light. Go back outside and check for light showing through the walls. Seal up all of the openings that are found.

deaconjim · #6 04/07/07, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speshuled

i'm just the opposite . i've been encouraging the bats to move in , by hanging bat houses in the trees around my pond . this might work for them also , if they give the bats a better place to roost , the bats might stay out of the garage .

Bat houses around a pond are a great idea, but bats in a building are a significant health risk.

BaronsMom · #7 04/07/07, 07:55 AM

Two on-line resources you may find helpful:

Bats in and around structures

Bat house construction and installation

Rockin'B · #8 04/07/07, 08:16 AM

We have a fairly large colony of bats that live in the top of the barn. I like 'em. They eat a lot of bugs.
But, they also poo all over the hay. I have to cover the hay and am not really happy about that. I haven't figured out what to do. It's kind of a catch 22 I like there, but don't like the poo problem.
So far, they stay.....

eurycea12 · #9 04/07/07, 10:48 AM

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, and quick too!
I know they have tried bat houses to encourage them to move. The bats did not use them but I am not sure where the houses were placed. The location might not have been appropiate, I'll look into it.
One of the websites suggested reccommended mylar balloons or strips of aluminum foil. I like those noninvasive and nontoxic ideas and will pass them along

free-2-b-me · #10 04/07/07, 01:30 PM

We had a major bat problem in the house we used to own . We would go out at night and watch where they would come out . When we were fairly sure they were all out we took aluminum screen and stapled it over the hole or crack .
Word of advise here ..... make sure there are no babies waiting for parents to come back and be prepared to some real heavy activity when dawn breaks as they are trying to get back in !

MoonShine · #11 04/07/07, 03:00 PM

I don't think the bat houses will be effective in getting the bats to leave the garage. There are quite a few bat houses on this farm and still,they got into my Aunt's house. Free-2-B-Me had a good suggestion with waiting til about dark to see where the bats fly out of...that works,then patch up the holes.

Good luck!