Still Batty
Well, the bats are still there, or at least one of them is.
A few times, like this morning, I've come back from my run to find one bat still trying to get into the belfry.
It has to be the same bat. I've decided to name him Dopey.
Dopey seems to have trouble getting himself into the overhang. He'll circle around over and over and then attempt a landing, only to bonk his head or something and get repelled. Circle. Bonk. Circle. Bonk. Circle. Bonk.
Then he finally finds the sweet spot and gets in. I suspect he was one of the bats that terrorized the inside of the house last week. Unable to find the sweet spot, he and a buddy flew down the chimney and into the master bedroom.
But Dopey can't do that now, because last weekend I put up some wicked metal screening. If Dopey thought bonking his head on the wall was unpleasant, just wait until he bumps into the frayed edges of the screening. Poke!
I'm not as fearful of the little fellas as I was last week, and now that they can't get down the chimney, I'm not in a hurry to evict them. I sent a photo of one of the bats to the Bat Conservation International office in Austin, and they told me that it was a Big Brown Bat.
They're certainly the cutest bat. Unlike some of these hideously ugly bats that only a mother bat could love, Big Brown Bats have these sweet little Teddy bear faces.
My plan now is to wait a few weeks to see if they migrate, which they are supposed to. If they've decided to make the overhang their home, well, then they need to go, and I'll have to set up some kind of netting system that will allow them to leave but not return.
Dopey won't know what to do with himself.
A few times, like this morning, I've come back from my run to find one bat still trying to get into the belfry.
It has to be the same bat. I've decided to name him Dopey.
Dopey seems to have trouble getting himself into the overhang. He'll circle around over and over and then attempt a landing, only to bonk his head or something and get repelled. Circle. Bonk. Circle. Bonk. Circle. Bonk.
Then he finally finds the sweet spot and gets in. I suspect he was one of the bats that terrorized the inside of the house last week. Unable to find the sweet spot, he and a buddy flew down the chimney and into the master bedroom.
But Dopey can't do that now, because last weekend I put up some wicked metal screening. If Dopey thought bonking his head on the wall was unpleasant, just wait until he bumps into the frayed edges of the screening. Poke!
I'm not as fearful of the little fellas as I was last week, and now that they can't get down the chimney, I'm not in a hurry to evict them. I sent a photo of one of the bats to the Bat Conservation International office in Austin, and they told me that it was a Big Brown Bat.
They're certainly the cutest bat. Unlike some of these hideously ugly bats that only a mother bat could love, Big Brown Bats have these sweet little Teddy bear faces.
My plan now is to wait a few weeks to see if they migrate, which they are supposed to. If they've decided to make the overhang their home, well, then they need to go, and I'll have to set up some kind of netting system that will allow them to leave but not return.
Dopey won't know what to do with himself.
posted by Brian Pearson at 11:02 AM
6 Comments:
Maybe you could purchase a bat house (simular to bird house)in an effort to get them to move out to their own place...I run too, and I believe someone on the next street over has a bat house, as they often greet me on my run (dusk and dawn it seems they are out). I have no idea what "brand" of bat those are, but they are friendly and affectionate- they like to buzz your head and from time to time even bump into you- which is startling even if you're expecting it. I see them a lot during the year, so I'm not convinced my neighbor bats are the migratory type. I understand that bats are VERY beneficial (particlularly in the mosquito arena) and this bat infestation may be a blessing for you. Just a thought...
Actually, they have cedar bat houses at Lowe's for $22, and I might either buy one or build one.
They gotta live someplace, I suppose.
I'm also thinking we might have multiple kinds of bats living up there.
The bats I saw in my house seemed to be the small Mexican free-tail bats, and Big Brown Bats have been known to hang out with them.
At least they're not vampire bats.
Those are creepy!
*chuckle* Poor Dopey! Maybe Dopey is part of a 'second wave' of migration, different species. At least the numbers are significantly reduced. Glad to hear it.
I've thought about the second wave aspect. I'll wait a few weeks and see what happens.
I don't think your bats are going anywhere if they are big browns. Members of this species are short distance migrants (maybe 50 km) that often overwinter in attics, barns, etc. They'll be active on warm days and go into torpor in cooler weather.
Also, PLEASE don't bother buying a bat house at Lowes. Those houses are too small for most bat colonies, which can number in the 100s for big browns. If you are really interested in getting a bat house (kudos to you), order one from Bat Conservation Int'l or make one to the specifications they recommend on their site (look in the web catalog under bat houses).
As insect predators, bats like the big brown are very beneficial. In particular, big browns eat a lot of crop pests like cucumber beetles. Of course, you should beware of picking up any bats on the ground or in your attic despite their cute little faces!
i'm not much on bats so I offer no advice. I can offer you a big sound ewwwwww instead though.. Atleast they arent in great numbers as before and not IN your bedroom..
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