Bat in the Basement - help!

[Squanklin]

Greetings!

I have a bat in my basement, and I hope to get rid of it and keep it from returning. Any thoughts?

I wouldn't mind building a bat house for the backyard - I just want to get the critter out of the basement and keep him out (though he has eliminated my "cave crickets" during his stay...). Thanks for your advice! Squanklin

[Doug Miller]

The usual method recommended for removing a bat from the main floor is to wait until nighttime, turn off all the lights in the house, open the front door, and turn on the headlights of your car in the driveway. Supposedly the bat will find its way out. Never tried it, don't know if it really works.

Perhaps if you turn off all the lights in the basement, and turn one on upstairs, the bat will come up out of the basement. Close the basement door. Then proceed as above.

To keep it from returning, you have to find out how it got in your house in the first place, and close that opening. It's quite possible that it flew in through an open door.

[Joseph Meehan]

I assume he (or she) comes and goes at will. Likely leaving at night and returning in the morning? Find out where they are getting in and out. Likely a much smaller hole than you thought possible. Wait until they are out and then block it.

Personally I would try to build some kind of nest box around the spot where it comes in and hope it likes the idea. It has done you a favor by eliminating the crickets and in many parts of the country this time of year, blocking it outside is likely to result in its death from the cold.

[euclid69]

We have had bats in our soffits for the last several years. They can get in and out through a hole like a mouse. I have heard several ways to get rid of them but haven't tried any. You do need to know how it gets in and out. If you find the area, some say mothballs hung in cheesecloth won't allow the bat to detect the smell of its opening. Or, and this is what I might try, hang some clothover the opening so the bat can escape but when it tries to return, the cloth keeps the opening closed. Like you, I kind of like the bats around during the summer.....we have very few mosguito problems around here. We normally have around 15-20 flying around at dusk. I plan on building a bat house this spring before the ones around here return.

[JerryMouse]

I had one of those a few years ago in the spare bedroom. Stayed for about four months. Tried everything: mothballs, loud noises, being naked. Nothing worked.

I finally told the wife her mother had to visit other relatives for a while.

[newsgroups01REMOVEME]

Should have gone outside and shown the bat signal.

;)

later,

tom @

[ge]

IMO, they sometimes get in through the door - particularly if there's a light over it. Or, that may just be wishful thinking. We've had two that I know of, over 15 years. I find a tennis racket works well

- they can't see it coming.

George

[effi]

from

I found a bat in my house, what should I do? Most bats found in the house are harmless lost juveniles. However, even lost juveniles can have rabies. As far as positive rabies results go in Wisconsin, bats are the most common species. It is important to avoid being bit or scratched when capturing or removing a bat. If you have been bitten or scratched, the bat should be captured, brought to a veterinarian and submitted for rabies testing. In addition, it is recommended that if a bat is found in a residence where persons have slept or have been mentally impaired (drinking, drugs), it should be tested whether a person is aware of a bite or not. In most rabies related deaths in the United States, victims killed by a bat rabies strain did not recall being bitten or scratched.

Testing fees for human exposure in Waushara, Green Lake, and Marquette Counties will be paid for by the Health Department. Typical symptoms of a rabid bat include, but may not be limited to, activity during daylight, erratic flight, and weakness. Do not handle a sick bat!

What is a safe way to get a bat out of my house? First, try to isolate the bat to one room. Turn on all the lights and open the window. In due time, the bat will usually leave on it's own without handling. If you must handle it, I recommend covering the bat with a coffee can or similar, then sliding a piece of cardboard under the can and release the bat outdoors. DO NOT release the bat if you suspect it has come in contact with humans or pets in your home.

How do bats get in my home and what can I do to stop them? There are professional bat exterminators that can help. Most often bats come in through chimneys and vents, loose window screens, plumbing runs lacking caulk, and through holes in soffit and fascia. Bats can enter a crack as small as 1/4of an inch. Entries should be screened off with cloth or fiberglass screening, plugged with silicone caulk, steel wool or permanently repaired. One primary hole should be kept open until bats exit for the evening, then it can be temporarily closed with a wad of aluminum foil or steel wool. Repairs should be made after dusk when the bats have left their roosts and are out of the home. Also be aware that flightless young may be present between mid-June through early July. Juveniles are usually able to fly in about 3 weeks. To find an entry, make observations at dusk to view where the bats are exiting. You should also be able to see droppings and stains from these areas.

Do mothballs discourage bats? Naphthalene or para-dichlorobenzene may repel colonies in tight areas will little ventilation. However, the application concentration rates were high. Sometimes these vapors can be irritation or dangerous to humans.

I heard that bats are beneficial. Will putting up a bat house keep them from roosting in my attic? Bats are beneficial. They catch mosquitoes and other insects from about a half hour past sunset to about an hour before sunrise, stopping only occasionally to rest. Putting up a bat house is a good way to see these creatures in action. However, the bat house will not prevent bats from also using other areas to roost. A bat house will only add an additional roosting and breeding site. Some bats in Wisconsin are very anti-social, seldom seen, but are common. They will roost solitarily. Many of us have seen these on dead or downed oak trees in Waushara County. Brown bat species are more social and will tend to use a box. A colony may contain a few dozen, although they will tolerate many more.

I want a bat house and understand that bats can carry rabies, is there anything else I should worry about? Histoplasmosis, from the fungus Histoplasma Capsulatum, can be contracted by breathing spores from the dust of bat feces. Respirators, protective clothing, and rubber gloves should be worn while working in or near bat roosts. If the roost is in an attic, stained insulation, boxes or clothing items should be discarded, and surfaces contaimined with urine or feces disinfected. You may use 5% bleach solution.

[Marina]

"Squanklin" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

awwww, he sounds so cute. I hope he didn't die down there! Marina