Fear is #1 Enemy of Wayward Bats
Hold on a minute…yeah, you with the tennis racket sneaking up the steps…drop the “weapon” and come back downstairs for a minute.
We’d like you to reconsider what you’re going to do once you locate the bat that has been reported in the hallway closet.
Thanks for coming back down. We (and the bat) really appreciate it. Let’s talk for a minute.
We know that bats freak a lot of people out. Because they’re associated in our culture with vampires, Halloween, and other scary stuff, they get a bad rap and are feared by people.
We all know what happens to things we fear…
Is there much to fear from bats? We don’t think so. Ryan explains in this video.
Instead of trying bat removal with the whacking method, we suggest the following:
- Isolate the bat by closing doors, especially if it is flying around trying to find a way out. This gives you time to think and time for the bat to settle.
- Consider opening windows and doors in the area where it is isolated. Often times, this passive approach works well if the bat is able to crawl towards a door or take flight to a window.
- Keep pets away from the bat. Both animals will get worked up.
- Decide whether you want to remove the bat yourself or call a bat removal professional.
Get the Bat Out Yourself
If you think you are up for the task (which you demonstrated by the tennis racket earlier) then please consider the following.
- Trade in the tennis racket (whacking implement) for a shoe box, butterfly net, plastic food container, etc (containing implement)
- The goal is to approach the bat, GENTLY cover it, secure it in the container, and then take it outside.
The key to success is choosing an appropriate “container”. Deciding what you’re going to corral the bat in is really up to you and is only limited by resources at hand and your creativity.
If you watched the video above, you know that bats can’t chew or scratch their way out of thin plastic, so material strength is not important. When you cover the bat, you want to consider complete coverage so containment happens the first time.
Once the bat is covered, sealing the container is then the next step to consider and calls for some creativity as well.
For example, let’s say the bat was on a drapery. You moved slowly and covered the bat with a shoe box. You just have to be creative in getting a lid on the shoe box without the bat slipping out. One way to lid the box may be to remove the drapery from the rod and using it as the lid since it’s already in place. Again, you just have to be creative.
A few things to remember are:
- Bats are not aggressive. If you are in the same room with a wayward bat, it’s not going to come at you trying to attack or bite you. (That said, it probably will bite you if you stick a finger in front of its mouth!!! Don’t do that and wear a pair of gloves)
- Bats perched above the ground on a piece of door trim or a drapery can try to fly- if they fly, they are not coming for you, just trying to get away.
- Bats on the ground can usually not take flight. They will crawl away looking for something to cling to and climb. After they climb, they then take flight by dropping.
- Once you take the bat outside, find an elevated position like a picnic table or tree branch on which to release the bat. Don’t expect them to take flight from the concrete driveway.
- Give them some time to make their getaway. They may not leave right away or they may be injured or sick. If they remain in place, they are already in a container that can be disposed of if the animal expires.
Or Call An Expert
What makes us bat removal experts is that we:
- Have experience
- Don’t fear bats
When we started, we just applied the same principles we discussed above in the do it yourself section.
That said, we do have the ability to humanely and efficiently remove bats that have somehow found their way into your living space. If you are in our area, we are happy to be of service.
We also completely understand why people who are very understanding of bats still call us to help. Everything gets easier and more efficient with experience.
Another benefit of having a bat removal pro like Ryan at Frontline Animal Removal come out to remove a bat in the house is that an assessment of how the bat came to be there can be done.
Bats living in the attic might be out of sight, out of mind until one ends up in the bedroom. To decrease the chances of a similar incident in the future not, an attic bat problem you were previously unaware of can be addressed.
When called to do a simple bat removal, we always try to look at the bigger picture.
Bat Control and Removal for Northeast Ohio
To learn more about the bat control and removal services we offer, please conatct Frontline Animal Removal today.
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