It's Raining Bats...

[punk_lawyer]

So, last night I was minding my own business on my deck enjoying a decent cigar. I was reading some work items and having a decent evening. Imagine my shock when a small purplish lump of moving flesh landed in the middle of some of my papers and started crawling away. I recognized it as a bat immediately and I let it go on its way...those things eat enough mosquitoes to justify their existence in my book.

I am not concerned by bats but this little bastard landed on my table beside my ashtray and on a stack of papers! When a second one landed on the table, enough was enough...time to relocate!

I looked up on the side of my house and there were probably 50-60 bats hanging there...just hanging on the bricks. They were not in the house, not in the attic vents, not inside at all. I even checked the attic vents and no sign of the flying mammals...just on the side of the house in the open. I guess the ones hitting the table must have fallen off or been sick or something.

My deck is my cigar haven. I am not going to have bats running me out of there! Not even if they come raining down from the sky. But how do I keep them from hanging on the side of my house? Is it possible someone else evicted them from their house and they just came to visit me temporarily? I have never seen them before last night...and I am there enough to have seen them for sure.

Does anyone have any ideas about 'side of house bat eradication'?

 

[bfreebern]

Build one of those bat houses and put it in your yard.

 

[MiamiCubano]

Bring in some owls.

That doesn't work, try bringing over a Bat Hawk.

That fails, invite over Ozzy.

 

[junkman_56]

This time of year bats are looking for a place to raise their young.
Brandon's suggestion is a good one. Put up a bat house or two in the trees near your house.

Bats are great insect control and eat a lot of Mosquitoes.
The little brown — which can eat 50 percent of its body weight each evening —
is common throughout the Midwest and specializes in feeding on small insects — including mosquitoesThe little brown —
which can eat 50 percent of its body weight each evening —
is common throughout the Midwest and specializes in feeding on small insects — including mosquitoes

Here is a good resource to learn more about bats:
http://www.batcon.org/home/default.asp

 

[TugBoat]

I agree with the bat houses. I don't know how bad mosquitoes are where you are, but here in Florida they get to be the size of small birds and come in swarms (there may be some slight exaggeration)

I know I would love to have a couple occupied bat houses around my house. I agree you don't want them hanging on your house, but they could be worth keeping around.

 

[punk_lawyer]

Thanks all! Bat houses it will be...I still think it odd that they are hanging on the bricks. If the bat houses fail then I will call in Ozzy.