Help! Bats!

[ejpint]

So we did a walkthrough of the rental home we're moving into on 10/1. They were kind enough to let us stop in and take some measurements, photos, etc. so we can plan out where to put furniture.

It's an old house, built in 1917. We went up to the attic, and noticed rather large piles of droppings concentrated in one area on the floor.

We asked the owner, and she replied that it's a bat. That they get one every year about this time, it goes away after a while, and they ShopVac up the droppings. Like it was no big deal. Basically that there's nothing that can be done about it because it's a tall, old building.

I was ready to go with this, but after some internet research, it sounds like this is a bigger deal - that the droppings can carry disease, parasites, etc., histoplasmosis was thrown around as a risk.

We've signed the lease, paid the deposit. Am I in a position that I can demand they bring out a...what, bat expert? Exterminator? Something before we move in? It sounds like they would seal up any tiny bat entrances. I'd like to make sure the droppings are professionally cleaned, too. Anyone have a bat problem? What do I need to make sure they do, what kind of business should they contact?

[caramia17]

We had bats when we moved in to our home. They were not in our attic, but nesting in the eaves under our roof near an attic vent. One of those round windowish looking things with slats, which was right above the steps from our deck to the yard.

The bat exterminator told us that they nest in single sex colonies, so if you have bats, one of your neighbors has the matching other sex colony, so if your bats move, they will go nearby.

They had to put up this netting on all of our attic entrances (from the outside, not the house) and then put up this one way bat valve so that the bats could fly out but not in. It looked like a mesh condom on our attic. After 2 weeks, they cleaned the attic and outside of our house on that side and sealed it up. It was about $1000, so if your landlords will give you a credit, you could probably pay to have it done yourself.

Our regular pest people (termites, etc.--we are in the South) were able to recommend bat people.

Also, it is totally humane, but they did tell us to tell our neighbors to get bat screens before we did it so that they could avoid being the home for the next colony.

[Deleted]

I would push to get it sealed up so they're not living inside your house.

That said, I love bats and they're great for mosquito control in the summer. To keep them from moving into a neighbors house you can put up a bat house for them to take up residence in.

www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/install-a-bat-house.html

[ejpint]

Sept 17, 2012 11:21:10 GMT -5 @ameliapond said:

I would push to get it sealed up so they're not living inside your house.

That said, I love bats and they're great for mosquito control in the summer. To keep them from moving into a neighbors house you can put up a bat house for them to take up residence in.

www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/install-a-bat-house.html

Yeah, I'd be totally cool with them chilling in our yard...but I'm not okay with them crapping in my attic or swooping into the living room while we're watching scary movies (Halloween is coming!).

[dr.girlfriend]

You need to get them out of your house. I know at least around here that if you have bats in your house, you automatically need to get the rabies shots, as you can be bitten in your sleep without knowing it. I agree that pest control people should know what to do.

[ejpint]

Thanks for the feedback! I made some calls, found a referral, spoke to my landlord, and "Rick the Bat Guy" is coming out tomorrow.

[slug*bug]

I had friends who rented a house about the age you mention with the same issue. (If I remember your previous posts, I think I might've lived where you are now.)

I think they wound up calling animal control to find out what to do, and the guy was like, "Where are you?" When he told them their street address, the animal control guy was like, "Ohhh, yeah. That's bat central." Bat central. Nice! So they got the idea it was a pretty common problem. Glad the 'bat guy' is on it for you!

[Deleted]

I have nothing useful to add except that i HATE bats. HATE. My parents house has them and it totally freaks me out. They can get as few as 2-3 or as many as 10 in a year. They kill them with tennis racquets.

[vccake]

DH woke up one night in our old apartment mumbling, 'what? No, no way. Is that...BAT!' A bat was circling our ceiling fan. We hid under the covers like fools and then ran out of the room. We went back in for the still sleeping dog. DH knocked the bat with a towel and it l landed on a little chair. DH also screamed like a girl but I am not supposed to share that. We covered the chair with more towels and DH ran outside in his underwear to set it free.

Never got shots. Just wanted to share. The bat scared the shit out of us and I am pretty certain the bat was like wtf. I like bats. I do not like bats in my bedroom.

Oh - and when I was in sleepaway summer camp I made a counselor walk me to the bathroom so I could poop. I was so ashamed but I was a kid and scared and missed home.

On the way back I saw a f'ing bat ON the covers of some girl's bed. The counselor was annoyed for having to go poop with me -- so she thought I was lying - but flipped the lights. Bat! It was frigging chaos.

That bat was hit with a tennis racket and was much bigger. No shots for that one either. And we were not in 'Bunk 5' (e.g. 'There's a Bat in Bunk 5').

[dr.girlfriend]

Sept 17, 2012 21:56:57 GMT -5 vccake said:

DH also screamed like a girl but I am not supposed to share that.

Oh my god, you have to visit Philly just so we can have a campfire GTG and eat s'mores and you can tell us your bat stories.

[ladyk]

Please don't kill them. Bat populations have collapsed the past few years due to the 'white nose syndrome'. Like 80-90% are gone in some areas.

I'm glad the bat guy is coming.

[Deleted]

They need to work on getting the hole they come in patched. We had some in our 100 yr old house growing up but they didn't live in our house--they flew in open doors, etc. I'm a LL and would at least attempt to remedy it permanently.

[vccake]

Sept 17, 2012 22:00:20 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Sept 17, 2012 21:56:57 GMT -5 vccake said:

DH also screamed like a girl but I am not supposed to share that.

Oh my god, you have to visit Philly just so we can have a campfire GTG and eat s'mores and you can tell us your bat stories.

Lol I'm in Philly

[ejpint]

Sept 18, 2012 9:24:00 GMT -5 ladyk said:

Please don't kill them. Bat populations have collapsed the past few years due to the 'white nose syndrome'. Like 80-90% are gone in some areas.

I'm glad the bat guy is coming.

We don't want to kill the bat! We just don't want to be roommates. The guy promised his services are 100% humane.