Getting Rid of Bats
Unfortunately because of vampire movies and other bad press, bats are greatly feared and despised by many people. Although bats aren’t aggressive creatures, bats are known to be carriers of rabies, so never attempt to handle a bat if you find one in your home or outbuilding. If you have been bitten by a bat, seek immediate medical care at a hospital or emergency care clinic.
Although no one wants bats in their home, bats are actually very beneficial creatures in the wild. Bats control the insect population, and without bats, the insect population would increase extensively. Bats want to avoid people as much as people want to avoid bats, but sometimes the lives of bats and people intertwine.
Don’t resort to killing bats that have made the unfortunate mistake of entering your home or outbuilding. You can successfully get rid of bats and keep them from taking up residence in your attic or barn, and if you have a single bat in your home, you can guide the bat back outside where it belongs without killing it.
Bats are misunderstood winged creatures that want to survive just like any other living being. The following tips and suggestions will help you safely rid your home or barn of misguided bats, and after making necessary changes and repairs to your home, you should never have to worry about bats in your house, barn, or attic again.
Bats in the Attic
Getting rid of bats that have taken up residence in an attic involves more than simply getting them out. The trick to getting rid of bats in an attic and getting rid of them once and for all is to seal the openings in which they come and go with the exception of one. This leaves the bats with a place to escape, and this gives you time to close their entry location.
After sealing all but one opening in the attic, wait approximately three or four days. After three or four days have passed, wait about 30 minutes after dark, and seal the last opening. While the bats are out looking for food, they’ll lose their happy home, and you’ll regain your attic as well as your sanity.
Bats in an Old Barn
Old barns generally have numerous openings in which bats can come and go. Old barns that are still used for storage but are past the point of repair sometimes become inhabited by colonies of bats. No one wants to walk into a barn that’s full of bats. This seems like a no win situation, but if you have an old barn that’s inhabited by bats, you can keep the bats out without repairing or rebuilding the barn.
Mothballs are great bat repellants. Simply fill nylon hosiery with mothballs, and hang the mothball filled hosiery in roosting areas. Mothballs are cheap, and this is an easy way to get rid of bats.
If mothballs alone won’t keep the bats away, you can also place lights in areas where bats like to roost. Since bats prefer to roost in dark areas, the lights will drive them away to darker locations elsewhere.
A Single Bat in the House
It might seem like a scene out of a low-budget horror movie when you find a bat diving and darting throughout your home, but bats sometimes find their way into homes. Bats want to get out of your house as much as you want them out, but what is the best way to get a bat out of the house?
Don’t try to catch the bat in a towel or sheet, and don’t try to hit the bat with anything. You’ll only keep the bat flying around your home, and you might even cause damage to your personal property.
If a bat is inside your home, simply open all of the windows, remove or raise the screens, and open all of the doors that lead to the outside. Turn the lights off inside your home, and the bat will eventually fly out on its own.
