# Bat on my window screen **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 5, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-on-my-window-screen/591523 "2011-08-05T01:31:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-on-my-window-screen/591523/1 "2011-08-05T01:31:06Z")
Earlier today I saw something that surprised me - a bat was latched onto the screen of one of my windows :eek:! I’m not surprised that it was physically capable of doing it; it wasn’t that big and I assume it held on to the screen with its claws. I **AM** surprised that it decided to latch on to the side of an apartment building, out in the open, without much shade (it was mid day when I saw it), and with my blinds always open. When I opened the glass window behind the screen it trembled, but I had to smack it through the screen before it actually took off. In case it matters, I’m on the 4th floor. Is this normal? Might it have been sick? It seemed to be in stable flight after I smacked it, but I was only able to watch it fly across the street toward another apartment building. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-on-my-window-screen/591523/2 "2011-08-05T01:48:58Z")
i’ve had young bats do that. it may have come from a nesting site nearby and needed a rest. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-on-my-window-screen/591523/3 "2011-08-05T01:57:27Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > i’ve had young bats do that. it may have come from a nesting site nearby and needed a rest. Kids these days… ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-on-my-window-screen/591523/4 "2011-08-05T02:05:25Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Is this normal? Might it have been sick? It seemed to be in stable flight after I smacked it, but I was only able to watch it fly across the street toward another apartment building. The bats in the area have probably learned that when the sun sets and the lights go on inside the apartments, it makes for an inviting buffet of various bugs who come to the windows. This one just got his reservation mixed up and arrived early. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-on-my-window-screen/591523/5 "2011-08-05T05:21:16Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > The bats in the area have probably learned that when the sun sets and the lights go on inside the apartments, it makes for an inviting buffet of various bugs who come to the windows. This one just got his reservation mixed up and arrived early. I know the bats around here use window light to hunt bugs. I have watched them fly circuits past my studio window, under the garage (which is up on 20 foot stilts), and back past the window. They’ll stay on this same roughly oval circuit for quite a while, until they’ve cleaned up all the bugs, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bat-on-my-window-screen/591523/6 "2011-08-06T00:05:31Z")
Thanks guys. Still surprised that the critter was there at around noon, but I guess he figured he’d just snooze there until “dinner” came later in the day. Weird.