Help A Bat!

[Chiefsmom]

Okay... so last night there was a bat flying around the inside of my house. I was lucky enough to trap him in one room and coax him out with a towel. Now........ there is another bat in my house tonight (could be the same one back in here again)! I'm freaking out because he was flying around earlier and now I can't find him! I know that they hide... but it's night-time now (when they usually come out) and I'm not seeing him to get him out. I don't know how I 'm going to find him. I'm so not going to be able to sleep. Does anyone have any suggestions that has dealt with a bat before???? I don't want to hurt him... and I cannot coexist "inside". I have no clue how they are getting in... we don't have an attic. The only thing I can think of is the chimeny... but the fireplace is currently sealed??!!! I'm puzzled!

 

[TossBranAbi]

Must be a new house thing cause we are going through the same thing. We usualy have them upstairs where the ceilings are low enough to touch so we just let it land on the ceiling and put a box over it. Then take a piece of cardboard and "seal" the box to get it outside. That is of course after we get the dogs and cats under control. They try to catch them but I worry about the diseases they can carry.
Good luck.

 

[Zannie]

my cat had one in the house the other night,i have no idia where it came from ,,b ut it was huge thank god my hubby was home he's not afraid of them

 

[RoxiesEcho]

When they are flying around at night you need to turn out the lights in the house and turn on an outside light near a door. We open the door to our garage and turn on the garage light plus we open the patio door and turn on the patio light. They will fly to the light. Just make sure you have someone stationed outside near the door so you know it is gone.

Also, if they land on a horizontal surface in your house they will not be able to take off an fly. A few weeks ago there was one on our living room floor. I dropped a pillow on it so it wouldn't move then my DH used the broom to put it in a box. Then we took it outside and threw it so it could fly away. If you just put it on the ground it will end up dying.

Can you tell it happens rather frequently at our house? We have a colony in our attack and sometimes they manage to get into the living area.

 

[Chiefsmom]

When they are flying around at night you need to turn out the lights in the house and turn on an outside light near a door. We open the door to our garage and turn on the garage light plus we open the patio door and turn on the patio light. They will fly to the light. Just make sure you have someone stationed outside near the door so you know it is gone.

Problem is.... I'm the only one at home because DH works third shift. But I guess I could wait outside to see if it flies out. I'm terrified to be in the house with the lights out with it because it was dive bombing last night. And if it flies out without my seeing it, I would be nervous all night not knowing whether it was gone or not.

I did finally get it out. I opened the two doors leading from bedrooms into the screened in porch and turned the light on ouside. The bat did finally fly out. But that wasn't the first. I feel myself anticipating another again tonight. I"ve been told that more often than not it's the same bat. Not sure how true that is...

I'm PARANOID! Even after it flew out... I couldn't sleep a wink for fear of one flying over my head.

One funny story came out of it, though.... If you call it funny. I was laying in bed last night staring at the ceiling (of course :o) When Sammy's head crossed paths with the light of my cell phone. All I saw was a giant thing flapping across the ceiling. I JUMPED so high! Low and behold, it was Sam just sitting there panting and his airplane ears flapping up and down.

 

[Shellsmag]

Since you don't have an attic you might look in the basement. The last place I lived I had bats and the little dears had decided to make my basement their home. I have no idea how they had gotten in but I regularly had to put them outside. It wasn't much fun sleeping with an insect net next to the bed. I was most worried about Maggie trying to get ahold of one on the floor and getting bit. They often carry rabies. They can make themselves incredibly small, I actually found one behind the wires that lead to the circuit box (less than an inch space between the wires and the wall).

Shell

 

[Chiefsmom]

Funny you mentioned this... I found one tonight in the basement trying to weasle his way out of some wiring in the ceiling. How did you get them out????? I have only seen one at a time and have searched the basement and have found nothing until tonight! I'm so confused as to where they are coming from and hiding. What are the chances that it's the same bat returning night after night?

 

[auntthelm]

I sorry you have bats. I hope you find a solution to get them out real soon. I can't sleep if I have a fly in the house.

 

[Chiefsmom]

I can't sleep if I have a fly in the house.

Yep... I have some serious bags under my eyes as well! We are bat-proofing the house tomorrow! Fingers crossed we are bat free one more night until then.

A co-worker of mine was telling me that it's prime time for bats right now for whatever reason (I'm not sure). She said that she had one in her house the other night and it bit her cat. They had to trap it and take it (and the cat) to the health department to check for rabies. Fingers crossed for her kitty! :(

 

[suzyqdogsmom]

Just a suggestion, it may not be worth much. Turn on the lights in your basement, leave others off and go outside at night - do you see even little specks of light where they could get in (I have been told that they can get in a hole as small as a quarter). Repeat for first, second floors etc. Around a window casing, where gas lines, electric etc go in house. If you have a chimney check for any spots around the entry to the roof. Put mesh or something over the top of the chimney etc. I used to live in a huge 3 story house when I was a kid and we had bats occasionally and I can remember my dad going around caulking and patching. This did bring back a pretty funny memory - my dad always worked 2nd shift and I can remember my mom getting me & my brother out of bed and shutting us in the bathroom while she went around with the laundry basket over her head and a broom for hitting the bat (she was not too concerned about its safety) I got a good chuckle remembering this. Good luck they can be pretty pesty.