Following on from the Rat in the kitchen… there’s a bat in my lounge (what am I gonna do?!)

[Chardonnay73]

So. Live rurally. And in the recent hot weather a bat has flown into the lounge and taken up residence on the ceiling beams 😱
It comes out at dark (obviously) and flies around having a high old time.
We’ve tried catching it and failed - these things are fast!
We’ve tried leaving all the doors and windows open overnight, but it’s still there!! We’ve rigged up a camera to track its nocturnal activities, and quite frankly it’s beginning to freak us out now. It’s been 10 days! We have rang the bat preservation society and they can’t send anyone out until next week 🤦‍♀️
Any bright ideas on how to evict Barry?

Good grief he must be starving! I know your asking how to evict him but please tell me you've been putting food and water out for Barry?!

Apparently he will be eating flies, of which there are also lots 😒 The man from the bat society didn’t seem unduly worried he was thirsty/hungry and told us to leave well alone until he can get there… 🤷‍♀️

I was going to suggest turning the lights off and leaving the window open. Maybe just keep doing this.

Get a light on outside at night and open all the windows doors. Ideally with full moon too!!

We get this regularly. You just open the windows and shut the lights tv etc off when it’s dark, it will fly out very quickly.

@Feetupteashot

Get a light on outside at night and open all the windows doors. Ideally with full moon too!!

I’m not sure about this, they avoid light. I just make sure it’s fully dark and open the windows usually they leave in mins.

@MoonlightWanderer the problem is it’s a real security risk leaving all the windows open, and invalidates our house insurance as it is deemed as ‘not secure’…. We’ve done it a couple of nights but I’m concerned more bats will fly in and make a colony!!

I think I would would move 🤣

No help there but this would freak me out!!

@Bluntness100, yes you’d think he would just fly out. We’ve sat there all night in the dark with the windows open, then gone to bed and left them open and he just flies around the beams. Unfortunately he seems very reluctant to leave…

There is another way, during the day when he’s sleeping uou can get a soft towel, a ladder and gently pick him up and release him outside.

@Bluntness100 we can’t find him! We live in a 250 year old barn with beams, high ceilings and all sorts of nooks and crannies… needle in a haystack and all that 🤦‍♀️

Are you sure he’s still there? Another point is if he is and you find him, don’t stay in thr room where he is, open the windows, plunge it into darkness and leave the room, you being there will scare him.

I caught one in my kitchen in a colander a few years ago! The kids had moved out into the wendy house and I was considering joining them. Good luck!!

Purposely in a colander that is. It took approx 55294 attempts. I had a shower cap on too for extra protection. Still haunts me to this day.

@MrsJVJ

I caught one in my kitchen in a colander a few years ago! The kids had moved out into the wendy house and I was considering joining them. Good luck!!

😂

I rather like bats, and if you look at it the other way round if you’re living in a barn conversion, it may be his home that you have invaded
So, no advice, just wait for the bat man to visit.

Reminds me of this...

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41172345

Ahhh bats are so lovely > entirely misses point of thread

I'm actually a little bit jealous! I think it's kind of cool....

I may be wrong, but I think it's illegal to handle a bat unless you're licensed / qualified?

@MrsJVJ

Purposely in a colander that is. It took approx 55294 attempts. I had a shower cap on too for extra protection. Still haunts me to this day.

This is a great mental image 🤣

[quote tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz]Ahhh bats are so lovely > entirely misses point of thread

[quote CailleachBan]Reminds me of this...

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41172345[/quote]
fantastic video!

I’m not sure about this, they avoid light. I just make sure it’s fully dark and open the windows usually they leave in mins

But moths and other flying insects - their food - don't avoid it. To a bat who is making do with a few flies at sunset, a moth magnet outside is the equivalent of opening a MccyD's drivethrough at the end of the road.

A possible way to encourage your Barry out the window would be to carefully pin up a sheet and gradually reduce the size of the area he has to move around each evening before he finds the open window a more appealing prospect.

As I'm sure you know, you mustn't touch bats, so a sheet would guide him towards making the sensible batty choice without putting either him or you at risk.

Im also reminded of the Irish guy in his kitchen!

My partner managed to catch a bat in our living room between two baseball caps 🤦🏼‍♀️ it was very much like the 'catch it Derry' fiasco. I was hysterical I bloody hate them!