DH wants to eradicate bats from attic...

wooly1s · #21 07/17/06, 01:01 AM

would much prefer to have a colony of awesome bats in my backyard than a few million bugs

Yes, in the backyard would be fine, but the attic does pose a health hazard as some have described...they are not hanging from the ceiling of the attic like in storybooks...they tunnel between the floor of the attic and the ceiling of the second story, and nest in the insulation...and bats don't mind soiling their nests - or dying in them!!!

During the summer the upstairs smells something fierce!!! The house is over 100 years old...and I imagine this colony of bats is among the original occupants!

I love the bats, and we "babysit" the lost babies until mom returns for them at nightfall...don't want anything terrible to happen to them...just would like to offer a peaceable eviction, to upscale bat quarters elsewhere on the property!

jnap31 · #22 07/17/06, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wooly1s

would much prefer to have a colony of awesome bats in my backyard than a few million bugs

Yes, in the backyard would be fine, but the attic does pose a health hazard as some have described...they are not hanging from the ceiling of the attic like in storybooks...they tunnel between the floor of the attic and the ceiling of the second story, and nest in the insulation...and bats don't mind soiling their nests - or dying in them!!!

All the bats I have ever seen in atics or barns or caves hang from the celings. You have got to be kidding "nest in the insulation" I would sure love to see a reference for that.

#23 07/17/06, 10:28 AM

jnap..

here's a great article about bats..anything anybody would wish to know about them ..including the fact that they not only "hang" from attic ceilings, but also can be quite happy to be in crevices under the flooring, etc..enjoy.

http://wildlifedamage.unl.edu/handbo...PDF/mam_d5.pdf

Little Quacker in OR · #24 07/17/06, 11:17 AM

Just as an addition here to giving bats an alternate home. You don't have to build a bat house. Many bats do nest under the bark of trees etc. Here we wrap "rippled" fiberglass around a tree or on the side of a building and they will use that through the winters.

Re putting up a bat house. They need to be BIG or usually bats won't use them..and they need to be out away from anything else, up on a heavy pole, or chances of bats using them are slim.

Good discussion! LQ

Prinls · #25 07/21/06, 02:03 PM

We had a bat problem in our 150 year old house. We wanted to make bedrooms in the attic and were at a loss of what to do. A neighbor suggested mothballs. We emptied a box up there and all were gone within a day. The only other thing that may have contributed to it was my DD blasting some horrendous sounding noise that she called music in the house. The bats have relocated to a church belfry. Next year I would like to put up a bat house. It is worth a try and cheap enough. Good luck.

backwoods · #26 07/21/06, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bostonlesley

People need to know it is illegal to kill bats..they are a protected species. Just as anything else in that category, it's much better to use any other means to remove them..if you should HAVE to whack them, it's best to keep that to yourself. The other thing that occurs is that people assume that "their bats" are common brown bats, or "little brown bats"..they may be and the may not be.

An example..here in this area of Missouri, it was discovered recently that a VERY rare species of bat has taken up residence in an abandoned mining shaft. Some folks may say to themselves, "SO WHAT?" The answer is that there are enough rare species of animals being whacked off the face of the earth already..one bat is not like the other..for all you know, your bats COULD be a group of really cool rare bats..it's just as easy to get them to leave without whacking them.

And no, I'm not one of "those" people who would throw myself in front of a tractor to save a tree frog..LOL..I just happen to like bats and dislike mosquitoes and June bugs and would much prefer to have a colony of awesome bats in my backyard than a few million bugs.

How do bats get rid of June bugs?June bugs fly in daylight and bats fly at night.

farmergirl · #27 07/21/06, 04:00 PM

We were "blessed" with a large colony of Mexican Freetail bats that moved into our house about 2 years ago. First they shacked up under the siding on the west facing side of the house. Then they decided to move "upstairs" to the crawl space above the ceiling and below the roof (we don't have a true "attic"). It was kinda cool, kinda creepy when they moved out over the living room ceiling and you could hear them skittering around, and we loved to watch they fly out of the roof eaves to hunt mosquitos at dusk. The problem with bats is that they poop...alot. And that poop, guano, is sure stinky stuff. It's great fertilizer, but miserable ceiling insulation

We had a professional "batman" come out to the house multiple times to "exclude" them...which is the only way to get them out alive and to prevent them from returning. The way to exclude them is to seal up any possible entrance for them (we used caulking along every seam, shingle, panel, etc.), leaving just one or two exits that you cover with screen mesh. Staple the screen mesh up on the top and two sides, leaving a loose opening at the bottom of the piece of mesh. This setup allows the bats to leave but prevents them from returning. The last thing you want is a bunch of trapped dead bats in your attic, and not just because they're protected! Our dear bats have moved on now, but we are reminded of them every time the house heats up because the west-end of the house still gets to smelling like a bat cave...ewwww.
One word of caution: If you choose to attempt to move them into proper quarters, ie; a bat house, be sure said bat house is a good distance from the entrance they've been using to the attic. They are persistent little buggers. For months after we got them all excluded, they were coming back to the property trying their darndest to get back into the house. We ended up having to caulk the seams all the way around the house, not just on the west side, because they just followed the sides of the house looking for an opening.
Good luck

PinkBat · #28 07/21/06, 04:03 PM

Please don't kill the pink ones.

Alexanderg · #29 07/22/06, 09:51 AM

Readers should note that aside from rabies, some hazard from bats is associated with the guano and not the bats. After a few years, a fungus may appear in old guano that can cause Histoplasmosis or a variant lung disease. It is eradicating these contaminated deposits from bats (and often pigeons) that makes restoration of many large old urban buldings such a headache. This is a Hazmat abatement problem and requires spraying the Guano until wet with poison and then removing it using air supplied Hazmat suits. This problem can also occur in canebreaks where birds congregate. So - suppressing the bats in your attic may only solve part of the problem. Be careful around any aggregation of bat droppings.

wiggles12 · #30 07/24/06, 08:27 AM

Just an FYI - if you find a dead or sick bat, you need to report it to your local health authorities ASAP for testing.

I live in central Texas - we have 3 of the largest colonies of Mexican Freetail bats in the norther US. We frequently have bat stories in the news.

I agree about waiting for fall when the bats retreat southward. Then you will have a very large project on your hands to "bat proof" your attic and clean the mess.

Bats are excellent neighbors, just not room mates. Put up a bunch of bat houses and keep them outside and your environment will be much better for it.