I have bats in my attic and need advice

[yardwork]

The bats sleep in the louvers and on the outside of the screen covering the attic vent. There are about a dozen of them. I think they are little brown bats. They fly out at night.

I think they're fine where they are but I have two concerns. One, I don't want them in my attic. I googled "bats in attic" and discovered that eventually their guano will rust through the screen and they'll move in. I also discovered that their guano is unhealthy to breathe.

I'm not very concerned about rabies but the possibility makes me even less inclined to extend hospitality inside the attic.

Comments? Advice?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Go to repell.com

to Dr. T's repellants. They have a product called Bat Skat, which does what the name implies. Follow the directions on the label and you'll find the bats will leave. My pest control textbook also suggests that you look for entry places-bats can get into places as small as 1" in diameter. This is the time of year bats are looking for winter hibernating places. They can travel as far as 25-50 miles from their summer homes to their hibernation places.

Hope some of this information helped.

[Kierkegaard]

2. Try nylon or fiberglass screening in place the old metal version.

[clydefrand]

3. Have you thought about building a bat house for them?

I know these houses exist; I've never seen one. Perhaps if you don't mind them being around but don't want them so close that you could build/buy one for them and place it away from your home. I wouldn't want them in my attic or bellfry either:-) because of their possible disease carrying potential. Otherwise they are beneficial in reducing the insect population.

[Eye and Monkey]

7. batconservation.com

http://www.batconservation.org/content/bathouse/workinghouses.htm

[yardwork]

10. We put up a bat house years ago

They ignore it.

[jilln]

4. Here's info from a bat sanctuary

http://www.batworld.org/bat_problems/bat_problems.html

These people are real experts, I've been there and they are incredibly knowledgeable.

[yardwork]

14. This is a great link!

I learned a lot of things about bats -

Bats are not rodents. Fruit bats may soon be reclassified as primates!

Bats are crucially important in pollinating lots of fruits and medicinal plants.

Bats are endangered worldwide.

Many cultures view bats as being protective animals.

[Coventina]

5. I would LOVE to have bats in my attic!

I'm jealous!

They are great at keeping insect populations down.

If you are really serious about evicting them, though, call your local wildlife rescue organization. They should be able to give you advice or help.

Please don't kill the little critters. Bats are good people, the environment needs them!

[yardwork]

11. I would never kill them

I like them a lot. I just don't want them nesting in my bedroom.

[wryter2000]

6. Bat houses

I had a bat house for years, and it never saw a bat. Much to my disappointment.

Don't kill the bats. They're wonderful creatures.

[necso]

8. A guy I know,

captured a bat and released it. He got bitten for his troubles -- and had to get the rabies shots.

Keep them out of the house. And don't get bitten.

But bats are generally good to have around. Discourage them from where they are at, but don't kill them if you can help it.

[XanaDUer]

9. I remember when I was a kid, lying in bed late at night in a relative's

house in the Catskills, hearing the bats fly between the walls. I used to think it was cool and creepy at the same time.

Good luck!

:hi:

[yardwork]

12. Thank you everyone for the advice!

I'll research the links suggested.

Rest assured we will NOT kill or harm the bats.

[wurzel]

13. Try mothballs.

I had bats in my intake vents and put in a couple of opened boxes of mothballs. Never seen one since.

[meow2u3]

15. Keep'em around till Halloween

On Halloween night, invite friends and neighbors to your house for a good little, spooky old time. Show them up to your attic and watch the screams.
:evilgrin:

After Halloween, then you can concentrate on getting rid of the bats.