A bat flies inside my house, usually between 5:00 and 7:00 am. Looks like he can’t find the way out (smart to enter but dumb to get out). At last, he finds the exit, but meanwhile it’s very disturbing, he flies very fast and low. Sometimes he flies very close to my head.
This is not a joke. How can I scare him away or erradicate him? My house is an old style one, and Bruce enters by the holes beetween the rooftop and walls. (Yes, I’ve named it, but it’s still a non-desirable guest. They are very ugly, indeed) Some time ago I found of them crawling by the floor.
Turning on all the lights doesn’t work.
Is there something technique associated with sound?
a bat box is like a bird box but for bats i dont have a URL with a diagram but if you took a bird box with no bottom and and no hole in the side and put a piece of dowel inside to use for grabbing. im not sure this is right but its something along the line of that general idea.
In addition to the lack of a bottom, a bat box usually consists of a number of spacers inside making the opening look something like a stack of ‘In’ ‘Out’ trays. Like so:
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If it’s made of wood the bat will have no need for the dowel as their little claws will quite easily dig into the walls for a grip.
The spacing usually depends on the bat but for a standard ‘Little Brown’ we’re taking maybe an inch and a half.
As to making the Bat want to go away? Light and Noise are good options (Mind you the neighbours may beg to differ). Also bear in mind that the bat will be very adept at finding a darker (and likely more muffled) place to hide particularly if it’s cosier inside than out.
I’ve always found a towel is a handy way to ‘catch’ the bat and evict him. Just imagine the bat is your gladiatorial foe and you’re using one of those nifty Gladiator’s nets.
Once when I was a kid I was awakened at the cottage one night by my terrified parents, chasing a bat around with mops and brooms. It was hilarious for me, not so much for the bat, I imagine.
This happened more than once so eventually the folks did a bit of investigating. Someone recommended that they turn on the lights and wait … wait … wait. Which they did. Eventually the bat settled in somewhere (you have to wait for a while, the bat doesn’t like light, but is freaked out in the beginning - “Where am I? What am I doing here? What do these people want from me?” kind of thing, I imagine - and eventually it roosts somewhere like a curtain rod) and with a piece of cardboard they brushed it into a paper bag, from which it could then be released outside.
Don’t know if this will help keep them out, but it was foolproof in removing them once in.
Oh, and Bruce won’t fly into you - promise. His sonar is very, very good.
Stuff the points of entry with steel wool (do this at night, or they’ll either sneak into your living space, or die and stink up your living space) There really is not much need to freak out. Just keep moving, and stay five or so feet away from it and yell/wave arms/swing things at it whenever it lands. Eventually, they just get tuckered out to the point where you can walk right up to them, put a shoe box over them, then slide an album cover underneath. Tape it shut. Drive five or so miles away, and let it go. Steel wool is wonderful for this, they don’t like chewing through it. It must hurt their fillings!
Do not harm the bat! Judging by your position (Mexico) you may have a Mexican Free-tail, a rather common specimen. They eat fruit and are wonderful at accidental pollination and the movement of seeds across areas.
Definetly build a batbox, maybe you will get him to stay and bring a few friends around.
The bat will not hit you, as their sense of “sonar” is so acute they can literally turn on a dime.
New friends?? Wow, I think I called Greenpeace instead!
Seriously, you guys seems more concerned about the bat rather than me or my son. I once saw one crawling on the sheets, directly to the feet of my former wife. I don’t know how the hell a bat could have ended in that precarious situation. I’ve heard they may have rabis (Cujo was bitten by one). I can believe you they’re not bad but their aspect doesn’t convince me to see Bruce or any other as a friend.
There may be more than one bat. Cover the holes with netting (1cm mesh, or so) attached at the top so that the bat(s) can crawl out under the net but can’t crawl back in. Once you are sure that they are gone, plug the holes or cover them with screening.
I’m not in Greenpeace, but the bat house is a good idea. After all, they’re eating your mosquitos.
Note that just sealing the holes is a bad idea. You may trap bats inside. It’s not difficult to cover the holes in such a way that bats can get out, but can’t get back in.
I had an old warehouse that was infested with bats. The one I used cost about $20. Just plug it in and in a few days all the bats were gone and stayed gone.
The link was just one example. Ask around, feed stores ag-coop, etc… somebody’ll have one or can get one. I bought mine from an exterminator.
No mess, no poison, no-one or no-bat injured, plus some can also be used for mice, rats, birds etc…
