Bats in the Attic! (1 Viewer)

[Danny R]

Aiiaaahhhh! I've got bats in the attic. Already three of them have found their way into the main part of the house, each to meet their doom. There is nothing quite as scary as a flying rodent zooming inches above your head within the very walls of your castle!

I had already crawled up into the attic, and using a duct tape net (they aren't strong enough to pull away from the tape), I trapped a couple of them and dispatched them. Likewise I've sealed the more obvious holes where they could get into the main part of the house, and made what I hope are one way doors leading out in the areas I think they are entering the attic.

I think I got them all, but these things like to hide in daylight, so there is no telling. Is there a spray or something that either kills or repells these flying rats?

Don't go and tell me to build a bat house or the like. I want these things DEAD.

 

[John Garcia]

Get a cat. I was at a friend's house, and watched their cat snag one right out of the air 4' up!

 

[Ron-P]

12 guage
Disclaimer: Not responsible for holes in roof.
Peace Out~

 

[Kevin Alexander]

Be very careful! Bats can transmit some serious diseases by means of their droppings. Also be careful not to be bitten or scratched by one. Because their bite has been described as a pin pick on the skin, you can be bitten and not even know it. You may recall that a fellow in extreme North Georgia died a couple of years ago after being bitten by a bat. While removing them from his attic, he was unknowingly bitten or scratched and then died less than a week later of a then known mysterious illness because of not being treated medically. So be careful, and use gloves if you have to handle them or be around their droppings. I know all of this because I'm an exterminator of 8 years here in Georgia.

 

[Thomas Reagan]

And also be careful as some species of bats are protected by law as "endangered" believe it or not.....

 

[Julie K]

Seal up all entrances to the attic while they're away at night. Be very careful handling any bat or their droppings.
Bats are very useful for keeping down insect populations and for pollinating some very useful plants (imagine a world with no agave - no tequila - no margaritas! :frowning: ) And, sorry, but the nitpicker in me must mention that bats are not rodents. They belong to their own order, but are most closely related to primates.

 

[Danny R]

I'm all in favor of bats ... so long as they stay outside. But swooping around inside my house is a bit too realistic. When I watch a vampire movie or the like on my home theater, I don't need 3d effects.
I hope I've cleared the attic, but I don't want to have my vents permanently sealed. So anyone know of any pesticides or repelents to keep them away? Right now I've got several lights on 24 hours a day up there, as I read bats don't like sleeping in brightly lit places.

 

[Kevin P]

You don't need your attic vents permanently sealed. Just screened off so bats can't go through them.

KJP

 

[Matt Stryker]

You might also want to put a fan behind the screened in peak vent, that way you'll get good airflow in the summer.

You could always use some sort of fumigation system, but then you'd have to pick up all the dead bats.

 

[Brian Kleinke]

Reminds me of a house I was in a summer during college... we had bats living in our basement. It was interesting to say the least
Brian

 

[Evelio Figueroa]

I had bats in the attic when I was living in an apartment. These guys were using it as a pit stop. The bad thing about it is that allot of them couldn't find thier way out. So most of them died inside the walls. The ones trying to get out found thier way into the apartment. Its hard to believe one little bat can smell so bad!!

The best thing to do is to wait it out and make sure they all migrated out of there. Even when its dark outside some bats are still inside the attic. As the years go by the numbers will increase so the sooner you plug up the holes, the better. I heard moth balls drives them out. Not sure if that works.

 

[DennisHP]

And be sure to gather all the eggs too. Bats are know to have quite a large springtime clutch.

 

[Jim_F]

And be sure to gather all the eggs too. Bats are know to have quite a large springtime clutch.

Careful! Like most mammals, bats can get downright testy if you attempt to harvest their eggs without permission.

Plus, they'll know something is up as soon as you try to remove their little utility belts.

 

[Philip_G]

well to clear up your bat problem I'd first gather up the essential tools, toothbrush, clothes, cell phone, etc, then I would proceed to run screaming from the house as fast as possible, check into a hotel and call an exterminator
I hate bats.

 

[Evelio Figueroa]

And be sure to gather all the eggs too.

Gee, since when did Bats lay eggs?

 

[Julie K]

And be sure to gather all the eggs too. Bats are know to have quite a large springtime clutch.

If you want to use biological controls, the small livebearer fish, commonly known as the batfish, will quickly gobble up the eggs as well as any adults who get too close to the water.

 

[DennisHP]

Gee, since when did Bats lay eggs?

They started laying eggs at the same time Easter bunnies did. It takes quite a few of them for an omlette.

 

[Dave Morton]

we had a bat fly into a house I lived in at college. There were 8 of us in the house and this bat was flying up and down the hallway. My roommate tried to get rid of it with a racquetball racket and lysol. It was way too funny. Eventually it flew between the window and screen and stayed in the corner. We opened up the screen and closed the window. He was gone by the morning. Quite amusing. Poor little bat.

 

[Evelio Figueroa]

They started laying eggs at the same time Easter bunnies did. It takes quite a few of them for an omlette.

I like mine scrambled.