Content:
- Catching Bats
- Using a Container
- Sweep it Out the Window
- Bat Trapping
- Using Sound
- After the Bat Has Been Evicted
From time to time you may get an unexpected surprise and find a bat inside your house. A lot of people are scared of bats, and having one flying around your lounge room can be disturbing, to say the least! In reality, those that have come into your home have usually done so by accident and are just as terrified as you are. Is catching bats so difficult? Before going to some effective methods for catching bats, let’s discuss some other points first.
So why do bats come inside? Most of the time it is because they are either roosting in your attic or have mistaken your home for somewhere else. The majority of bats that will roost in your attic are either female who are raising their babies, or the young ‘pups’, the name given to young bats.
Bats live in colonies, especially when the mother is raising her young, so if there is one bat in your attic, there are most probably several more. Most of the time, they will stay in the attic until they can fly, with just the mother venturing out for supplies. If there is one flying around your rooms it has probably ended up there because it is inexperienced at flying and has made a mistake.
Another scenario, which is more frightening, is that the bat has entered your home because it is sick. If you find the bat in a room where someone has been sleeping, there is a higher risk with a sick bat that they may be carrying rabies. In this scenario, you will need to catch the bat so it can be tested, or the person exposed to the bat will need to be tested. But how do you successfully catch a bat? Read on to find out how.
Catching Bats
Bats are actually easier to spot when they are flying around.
If they have landed, it is not difficult for the smaller species to crawl into spaces or behind furniture which makes them much harder to find.
The best way to catch bats is to do so while it is flying. If you wait for it to tire out and land, chances are you won’t see where it goes.
Here is how to catch a flying bat using a net.
Step 1
Find a butterfly net, or if one isn’t available, you could use a very fine fishing net.
You need to make sure the net can’t harm the bat in any way.
Step 2
Use the net to capture the bat, which may take several attempts as they fly quite quickly.
Otherwise, wait for it to land and then scoop it up with the net.
Step 3
Make sure you don’t crush the bat when you secure it in the net.
Take it outside and release it.
Using a Container
When you are attempting to catch a bat, make sure you are wearing heavy leather gloves or if they aren’t available, a good thick pair of oven mitts.
You can open a window or a door and hope the bat gets a whiff of the fresh air and flies outside. But that’s if you’re really lucky. Here are the steps to catch a bat after it has landed.
Step 1
Watch the bat as it flies around the room but keep out of its way.
Wait until it gets tired and lands.
Step 2
If you can, pick the bat up with your gloved hands. It will try and bite but it won’t penetrate the thick leather.
Alternatively use a towel and cover the bat after it lands so it can’t fly off again. Be careful not to hurt the bat.
Step 3
Keep the bat wrapped up in the towel. The bat will make a sort of clicking noise when it’s frightened. If you can, place the towel and bat inside a container and carry it outside.
Place it on the ground away from your house, and close your doors and windows to make sure it doesn’t come back inside.
Step 4
If the bat is up higher than the ground level on a wall, place a container over the bat and very carefully slide the lid or a strong piece of paper between the wall and the bat. Then release outside.
Step 5
Once the bat is outside, just walk away from it and watch to see that the bat is okay.
They have some problems taking off from the ground sometimes so it may hop a few times before it becomes airborne.
Step 6
If you think the bat is too tired to fly, place it close to a tree so it can climb up and take off from there.
Sweep it Out the Window
This may sound like a simple method, but it’s more difficult than you may think.
But, the idea is to open up a good-sized window as wide as it will go, then grab a broom.
Use the broom to shoo the bat in the direction of the window, and with any luck, it will fly right outside.
Here’s why you shouldn’t kill bats (and some other fun stuff).
Bat Trapping
There are a number of ways to trap a bat, but they aren’t as effective as other methods. Because bats live in colonies, you aren’t really achieving anything if you are only getting rid of one bat. If you feel you absolutely have to get rid of the bats with a trap, choose one that will capture the bat alive as they are more humane.
A repeater trap is useful for catching the whole colony, and they work by enabling the bat to fly into the cage but preventing the bat from flying back out again. They won’t cause any harm to the bat but maybe a bit distressing.
If you are going to use a trap, you need to know where to place it to be effective. Look for areas in your roof space that may allow a small bat to enter and exit through. A good location is where there are loose roof tiles, but some bats can get through holes as small as the size of a coin, so look for tiny areas as well. Then, place the cage or trap near those holes and wait. You can’t use any bait when trapping bats as there is nothing definite that will attract them.
Using Sound
There are two main ways of using sound to get rid of bats and the first one is a simple and somewhat successful method using an everyday item most people would have in their refrigerator. Here’s what you do. Open up your door in the evening and turn on the porch light but turn off all the lights in the room.
Go to the point in the room that is opposite the open door, and grab yourself an empty yogurt container. Scratch on the bottom of the container and the sound waves produced will enable the bat to see the outline of the open door.
But, the most effective method of all to get rid of bats is with an Ultrasonic Bat Repeller. This is a device that is specifically designed to remove bats from your home. Humans can’t hear the ultrasonic frequency emitted by the device but the bats can. It doesn’t hurt the bat, but it interferes with its navigation system, so the bat will go somewhere else where it is quieter.
The best Ultrasonic Bat Repeller is the Pest Destruct product. A lot of other repellents aren’t as effective, and they aren’t as pet-friendly as this product. Unlike some devices, it also doesn’t’ produce any kind of odor, which makes it more pleasant to have in the home.
The Ultrasonic Bat Repeller by Pest Destruct sends out ultrasonic waves to the bats but is completely safe around children and household pets. It can even repel other creatures as well, which is a marvelous bonus. It can cover an area of up to 80 square feet, so depending on the size of your home, you may need more than one device. But it is definitely worth it, as keeping them out of the house means there won’t be any dead rodents or bugs around to be cleaned up either.
With the Pest Destruct Ultrasonic Bat Repeller, you can enjoy a home free from these creatures, and it won’t cost you a huge amount of money. Normally it retails at $79.97 USD, but at the moment it is selling at 50% off, so the price is only $39.97 USD! That’s a fantastic bargain and a small price to pay for a bat-free home. But it gets much better yet. The device is so successful, that they offer a guarantee – get rid of bats in 72 hours, or it’s free. That’s a deal that is too good to pass up.
After the Bat Has Been Evicted
Once you have managed to remove the bat from your home, you need to find where it was getting in so you can make sure it doesn’t come back. If you find any holes or gaps, cover them up or repair them straight away.
Then keep your ultrasonic bat repeller going at all times and you won’t have to worry about bats again.
