# Where's the bat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 21, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188 "2015-04-21T14:14:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/1 "2015-04-21T14:14:02Z")
So, at 2 am my gf flipped on the bedroom lights. There was a bat flying around the house. This happened once before and I used a towel to grab it and release it outside. But for some reason she wanted to put off dealing with it at 2 am. So she waited till it flew out of our bedroom, shut the door, and went back to sleep. Now it’s morning and I can’t find the damn thing. Looked in the pleats of all the drapes, on the indoor tree branches, in every nook and cranny; nothing. Wants my next move? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/2 "2015-04-21T14:16:37Z")
Wait until it gets dark again. Turn off all the lights in the house and get a light outside. Of course he got in there somehow, he may just have gotten out again, and he may come back in. Also, have a tennis racket handy. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/3 "2015-04-21T15:02:49Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Wait until it gets dark again. Yeah, looks like that’s going to be necessary. I looked through the entire house again and haven’t found it. Checked the chimney flue and it’s closed. Man, I wish we had taken care of it last night! ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/4 "2015-04-21T15:09:51Z")
I have never succeeded in finding a bat the day after a night-time encounter. I have found dead, dessicated bats in a goblet on the plate rail in my kitchen, in the pocket of my winter coat, and hanging from the screen on my attic fan. I have found live bats, unrelated to a night-time encounter, in my sump pump, and hanging from drapes and moulding. It really is better to get up and deal with the little bastards when they are flying around your bedroom. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/5 "2015-04-21T15:23:52Z")
Gotta call a [bat man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrqKniuIzOQ) ;). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/6 "2015-04-21T15:25:22Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > It really is better to get up and deal with the little bastards when they are flying around your bedroom. Amen. I’d really like to find the lil guy and get him outside safely. We have bat-houses on our barn and shed, and like to think we have far fewer mosquitoes as a result. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/7 "2015-04-21T15:51:34Z")
not only wait until it’s dark, you have to also make the buzzing sound of a mosquito. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/8 "2015-04-21T15:57:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Amen. > > I’d really like to find the lil guy and get him outside safely. We have bat-houses on our barn and shed, and like to think we have far fewer mosquitoes as a result. You are more kindly disposed toward them than I am. I have had many encounters with them, [one of which was closer](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=373796) than I would have preferred. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/9 "2015-04-21T16:19:35Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > You are more kindly disposed toward them than I am. I have had many encounters with them, [one of which was closer](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=373796) than I would have preferred. Y’ouch.! ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/10 "2015-04-21T17:26:45Z")
look behind pictures hanging on the wall. also check the floor/carpet for black rice sized bat poop. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/11 "2015-04-21T17:46:30Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > look behind pictures hanging on the wall. > > also check the floor/carpet for black rice sized bat poop. I missed the pictures/tapestries, but my gf didn’t. No poop found yet. I’ll search again after work. The scary thing is if we _don’t_ find it. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/12 "2015-04-21T19:13:55Z")
just thought of in the furniture. Lots of luck finding it there. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/13 "2015-04-21T23:33:52Z")
Success! It is overcast and the house was dark early. Suddenly it was flying around. It flew into our sunroom and I shut the French doors, so it was contained to a single space. I propped the door open and waited. It flew around for a good ten minutes before darting out. It took breaks, but always too high up for me to grab. A little brown bat that looked eagle size in flight. Our parakeets and African grey are totally nonplused! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/14 "2015-04-21T23:34:59Z")
They are very cool little creatures and I hope I never see one up close again. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/15 "2015-04-21T23:37:07Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > You are more kindly disposed toward them than I am. I have had many encounters with them, [one of which was closer](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=373796) than I would have preferred. Squatting in our sunroom while it circled overhead, your experience was not a comfort.😛 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-the-bat/718188/16 "2015-04-21T23:45:51Z")
Some bats are smaller than mice. You’ll find it in some nook or cranny while cleaning up someday.