Bats: Creepy Critters in the House
So recently, as we were sitting around watching Bershawn “Batman” Jackson run his 400 meter hurdles at the Beijing Olympics, a bat came out of nowhere and was flying around in our living room. Really. An actual bat, with uncanny timing.
We live in the country and often see bats on summer evenings flying around our yard light, which is atop an electric utility pole set away from the house. Supposedly that’s kind of good because they eat mosquitos, right? But seeing bats high in the sky is very different than having one swooping around in the house, frantically trying to find its way out. Even my husband, who normally deals with anything, admitted to heebie jeebies. Eventually he was able to throw a blanket on top of the creepy critter and get it out of the house.
Needless to say, we want to know how and/or where a bat came in and should we be worrying about more? According to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, there are several clues that indicate bats living in your house:
- Two or more encounters with bats flying around in your house within one calendar year
- Piles of mouse-like fecal material in your attic or on the ground outside your house
- Bats observed flying around your house from dusk to dark
- A bat in the house during winter months
What to do if you suspect bats living in your house, besides putting up a for sale sign? The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management advises the following:
- Locate the points of entry, commonly on roof edges, valleys, eaves, gables, dormers, vents and the chimney. Bats can squeeze through openings as small as 1/4 inch, depending on the specie.
- Repair and seal these openings after dusk, when bats have left their roost. The best time for repairs is mid-August through mid-May, before the young are born and after they are weaned and able to fly.
- Repellant and toxicants, according to the Center, have limited effects for various reasons.
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