Main Bat Hunter Page
From alek Sun Jul 29 23:54:47 2001
Subject: Bats in the Belfrey!!!!
So I'm typing away on my computer around 11'ish tonight; everyone else in the house is asleep ... and I hear an occasional noise from downstairs - great, sounds like someone is in the house!
I flip a light on ... turns out a BAT is in the house ... and flying around thumping off the walls. He dive bombs me a couple of times - let me tell you, it's pretty unnerving having that happen. I open the front door since he is kinda in a loop flying close by it ... but he doesn't take the bait.
So I'm thinking what should I do ... not only if this guy decides to kamakize me, but how do I get him out of the house? We don't have any big fishing nets (or whatever) in the house; so I grab an old blanket and try whacking him in mid-flight ... he easily dodges my efforts.
So then he lands on the ceiling by the stairs ... I sneak up on him, he sneers at me, but doesn't move, I throw the blanket ... and he flys away. BTW, I get a good look at him ... he's bigger than a softball and smaller than a football (on the wall - much bigger when flapping around).
By then, I'm making a bit of noise myself, so I go into Wendy's room and wake her up to let her know a bat is in the house, I'll be making some noise doing "something" to try to get it out, and what should I do? Her advise is to "scream for my husband" ... GREAT! ;-)
So I head back into the hallway (Wendy provides support/backup by telling me to close the door behind me so she is safe) and make sure all doors are closed - last thing I need is a bat dive-bombing a 3-year old or a 4-month old. I then venture downstairs and close all doors there ... figuring we'll limit the number of places the bat can be/go.
But I don't see/hear him flying around and I don't see him anywhere up against the walls/ceiling. I close the front door and after looking around again, he's still no where to be found.
I report back to Wendy - I dunno what happened to him!!!! I tell her to be sure to keep the door closed (the kids too) and I guess we'll look in the morning.
Hopefully he's gone ... but if not, how do I ideally get this guy out of the house peacefully ... or if I have to, go mano-mano (or is that (bat) guano-guano with him?!? ;-)
alek
From alek Tue Jul 31 00:45:09 2001
Subject: Bats in the Belfrey - they're backkkk ...
Recall last night just after 11'ish I had an "encounter" with a BAT flying around inside my house ... and it "disappeared" after a pitched battle with me.
So Wendy and I leave around 6:30 for the Eric Clapton concert at the Pepsi Center (we do get out sans kids ... once least once a quarter! ;-) and return around 11:30. Babysitter (who we had told about the missing bat) saw no sign of the bat (nor had we seen it during the day).
So we are getting ready to hit the sack ... when all of a sudden Mr. BAT comes flying into the room from the open door.
Remember that Wendy's advice earlier in case of a bat sighting was/is to "scream for my husband" - since I'm allready there, she does the next best thing which is to hide COMPLETELY underneath the blankets; leaving me to fend off the bat myself.
I close the hallway door ... and open the door to the deck; only one way out ... and that where we want him to go! I turn on all the lights in the room ... so hopefully he'll go toward the open deck door to the dark outside.
He's doing circles around the room/ceiling ... but showing no inclination to the deck door ... so I grab a pillow and try to shoo/push/hit him toward it - not easy to do!
I swing several times and he easily dodges me ... but does alter his flight path slightly ... lower/closer to me! About this time, our 4-month old in the room next door starts to make noise - I ask Wendy if she can get out from under the covers and check on Kyle; she says she'll do so ... after the bat is gone ... so I go back to work flailing with the pillow.
About then, I realize I'm "buck naked" ... and with all the lights on in the bedroom, quite a sight for anyone walking/driving by. While the sight of me naked and swinging a pillow into thin air at Midnight would be enough to "gross out" most people, Mr. BAT doesn't flee and continues his circling.
I quickly pull on some shorts while he's on the far end of the room; and move to a better position to intercept his semi-predictable flight path. After a few more misses, I get a decent shot in and send him flying/tumbling/squeeling toward the open deck door ... and out he goes ... with me right behind closing the door.
Wendy now peeks out from under the covers and asks if he is gone. I turn the deck light on and look through the window - I don't see Mr. BAT ... but I tell her there's no way I'm opening the door to check, but she can if she wants to - she declines.
So not only was it nice to get Mr. BAT outa the house, but it was nice he got out semi-under his control (unlike when I had squirrels in my attic ... but that's another story ;-).
alek