Every summer, for the past several years, we have had unwelcome tenants living in the attic of our cottage. They probably remained there during the winter, but since we didn’t, we were unaware. These unwelcome tenants are bats. Every summer the challenge was how to get rid of them. We think we finally succeeded in keeping them out by getting a new roof. However, the main challenge was evicting the bats first.
In order to learn their habits, we did some bat research. Bats are amazing animals and the only mammals that fly. They can consume between 600 and 1000 small insects in an hour. Our cottage is located on water which is the preferred location of bats. They prefer to live in caves or hollowed out trees but when these are not available they resort to attics. In our experience, they seem to be territorial. As much as we tried to entice them to move to a neighbor’s attic, they always came back to ours.
Bats either hibernate or migrate in winter. They can hibernate up to seven months if left undisturbed and prefer sleeping in groups for warmth. We did not realize this. Our cottage attic was ideal for hibernation as the bats prefer somewhere quiet, not drafty and free from cobwebs.
Bats can live anywhere from four to thirty years. Most species have only one baby, called a pup, a year. This is one reason why bats are endangered. Mating occurs in fall and winter but the female’s body delays fertilization until the spring. The pups are born between May and July. They grow fast and are able to fly in three weeks.
There are some popular myths concerning bats that are not true. Bats are not blind and actually have very good eyesight. There is no need to fear bats getting caught in your hair. Through a process called echolocation they send out signals that are bounced back to them which prevents them from flying into things. Any animal is susceptible to rabies but only one half of one percent of bats have rabies. Bats only bite in self defense.
There are probably more bats living in attics than most people realize. We discovered we had visitors when we would hear a thump and then a skittering sound above us. These sounds would occur each night at about the same time, usually around 3:00 AM, when the bats were coming home after a night of foraging. Although my husband would explore the attic the following day, he could never find any evidence of bats. We had an old fashioned ridge vent on our roof through which we thought the bats were entering. We tried plugging the vent with foam as best we could but to no avail. Bats can get in through spaces as small as the tip of your thumb. We even resorted to bug bombs a couple of times; which we thought worked but only temporarily. Another suggestion we tried unsuccessfully was placing moth balls in the attic. The only mammals disturbed by the smell were us.
It seemed that as the summer went on we wouldn’t hear the noises in our attic. We assumed that we had finally solved the problem until the next summer. This continued for three summers. This year we were again awakened by the familiar thump and skittering above our heads. Soon after, however, we also heard the flapping of wings in our bedroom. Now the bats were presenting a serious problem by invading our living space. Bats that venture into living areas are usually young bats who have gotten lost. They really don’t want to be there. The best way to get rid of them is to try to get them isolated in one room. Open a door or window and put on a light so they can see the exit. If this doesn’t work use a pillow case, towel, tennis rack or net to capture them and take them outside. Eventually they will work themselves free of their trap. The problem is that they will return to their resting place, so it is necessary to prevent this.
We spent several weeks searching the attic until finally my husband found evidence of the bats and eventually the bats themselves. He figured out where they were entering and put more foam in those spots. We also got a new roof and new ridge vent. One by one the bats were evacuated. Aside from calling a professional, the best, most humane way to do this is to use heavy gloves and catch them during the daylight while they are asleep. It is also humane to provide a new home for them as they will try and get back into your attic. Bat houses can be built or purchased and, if put near the bat’s former home, the bats will take up residence in the bat house. Not having provided a bat house, we discovered one of the bats found a new home behind an outdoor window shutter. We don’t know where the bat will go this winter.
Recent searches of our attic have not shown any evidence of bats. Although the new roof is responsible for keeping the bats out, we are fairly convinced that our evacuation was successful and that the problem is solved. That is, of course, until next summer when we will listen for the telltale noises and hope for silence.
References:
1. http://www.batconservation.org/content/Batproblems.
2. http://home.earthlink.net/~cmsquare/batfacts.html
3. http://www.essortment.com/all/factsaboutbat_ocv.htm
4. http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/batfacts.htm
5. http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Cottage/3005/batsfacts.html
6. http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/bats/facts/
