# I need to kill some bats **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387 "2003-07-10T03:31:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/1 "2003-07-10T03:31:49Z")
There are bats and bat babies living in the outside louvers of the attic vent screen. My son and I went upstairs a few weeks ago to look at the miracle of life close up and it was quite thrilling. The thrill is gone now as the smell of bat guano is stinking up the attic and I will have to remove them from the premises. I called the local college extension service to see if any bat biologists wanted to get them, but there were no takers. I don’t think I need to call an exterminator just to get rid of some bats. The little devils seem to have a pretty good grip on the louver screen with their little claws so using a leaf blower to blast them off the screen and out into the yard (my initial thought) might not be effective. I thought about taping mothballs to the other side of the screen to drive them away, but if this kills the babies I’ll just have rotting bats on the screen _and_ bat guano. I’m not anti-bat. I know they are good and useful creatures. I’m just anti bat shit in my screen louvers. Any suggestions to get rid of the bats? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/2 "2003-07-10T03:35:02Z")
[Removing Bats Without Poisons](http://www.thebestcontrol.com/bugstop/control_bat.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/3 "2003-07-10T04:02:11Z")
The penquin can be contacted at …oops wrong bat , sorry Declan ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/4 "2003-07-10T13:20:47Z")
Don’t need an exterminator? Maybe, maybe not. In some areas, bats are sorta “protected,” and not just anyone can legally “remove” bats. Check on any regulations in your area first. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/5 "2003-07-10T13:29:13Z")
They are repelled (but not killed) by mothballs and bright light. So the taping mothballs approach might work. You could also set up a portable halogen or fluorescent worklight (carefully, to avoid fires). Most bat experts suggest waiting until the babies can fly (probably August) before trying to get rid of them to avoid the rotting bodies scenario. After that, you can put a flap of plastic over the louvre so that they can fly out but will have trouble flying back in. ---
**Author:** ![Padmaraga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@Padmaraga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padmaraga)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/6 "2003-07-10T14:38:08Z")
I understand not wanting the bats in your house, but **please don’t kill the bats!** Bats are very valuable for their consumption of mosquitos, and they are really no danger to people (you alluded to knowing they are valuable, **astro** but I want to be sure anyone else reading this gets the message) - stories of them getting in people’s hair or biting & giving them rabies are exaggerations. I hope you find a way to de-bat your house that allows the bats to be unharmed. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/7 "2003-07-10T15:57:47Z")
My suggestion: Get a [bat house](http://www.batconservation.org/content/bathouse/bathouse.htm) and put it on a pole in a quiet corner of your yard. Once that’s up, make the attic inhospitable with mothballs, light, etc - encouraging the bats to change residences. Bats are actually pretty cool, so I wouldn’t recommend killing them. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/8 "2003-07-10T17:40:50Z")
Some years ago in Africa, I was confronted with the problem of getting rid of fruit bats . These things are huge and they make a tremendous mess. Anyway, I purchased some electronic gizmos and placed them around the property and the bats disappeared fairly quickly. The product is called Bird-X and has several settings for rodents, birds, etc. They’re also pretty cheap. I think they are still posting my product testimony, actually. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/9 "2003-07-10T18:40:10Z")
Put a boom box in the attic, and play Ozzy Osbourne music day and night. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-to-kill-some-bats/187387/10 "2003-07-10T20:47:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AskNott \* > \*\*Put a boom box in the attic, and play Ozzy Osbourne music day and night. \*\* I should mention that before using the Bird-X, we tried loud music, sudden loud noises, gun blasts, bright lights, etc. These all worked briefly, but the bats became habituated and returned quickly. On top of which, the sudden loud noises had the extra added attraction of literally scaring the crap out of the bats. The Bird-X works like a constantly running dentist’s drill would work against a human.