Ok, this is getting irritating

[steuard]

Kim just woke up to the disturbing feeling of a bat (herein labeled Bat #2) brushing past her arm as it circled the room. We turned on a light, but by the time we'd formulated a plan it had disappeared. Had it decided to roost somewhere because of the light? Had it squeezed out of the room the same way it got in? We're still not sure: we were complete cowards when it was actively swooping past us around the room so we didn't watch everywhere it went (especially when it was swooping low to the ground) and a fairly thorough search of likely roosting places turned up nothing.

Once we started searching the rest of the house, Kim spotted a swooping bat by the side door. (I'd already turned on lights throughout the main floor, but it was still dark there.) I managed to thwack it with a tennis racket, leaving it dead or very stunned, and we stuck it in a covered trash can. Occam's razor suggested that we'd found Bat #2, so we started to relax.

But then, Kim happened to see two more bats roosting behind the blinds in our breakfast nook. I've now grabbed those (using the earlier "towel and gloves" procedure) and stuck them in a cooler. (They don't sound happy.) But having found those, we now have no idea whether Bat #2 is still in our bedroom somewhere, waiting for the lights to go out.

Sweet dreams.

Comments

[ricevermicelli.livejournal.com]

Exterminator?

I'm so sorry you're having this particular trouble. I hope it gets better soon.

[steuard.livejournal.com]

Exterminator?

We've arranged for an animal control guy to thoroughly assess the house later this week; apparently he's very busy with bat issues this time of year, so he probably won't make it here until Wednesday. Once he locates all the possible entry points to the house, his recommendation is to seal all but a couple of them and then put traps on the ones that remain (to catch any bats that might still be in the house).

In general, we quite like having bats in the neighborhood: they eat their body weight in insects every night. But having them in the house is startling and (due to rabies worries) scary. We'll get the three we captured tested for rabies first thing Monday morning. Fun.

One saving grace, I guess: we don't have kids yet. I think I'd be bordering on frantic if a child of mine might have been exposed. So it's good to be sealing up the house now rather than later.

Thanks for the good wishes!

[silentmonster.livejournal.com]

Wow, that sounds awful. Good luck with the bat guy.

[beth_leonard]

Ick! Oh the joys of home ownership.

Good luck!
--Beth

[steuard.livejournal.com]

Ok, we've all got to agree that when our kids are old enough that they need to know, we'll tell them about the bats and the bees.

[beth_leonard]

LOL!
--Beth

[invisibor.livejournal.com]

This is what happens when some things that take bat form also have a human form. They use it to open doors. I'd check on your extra key under the rock, or get one of thos security systems.

[springbok1.livejournal.com]

Bats can fit through very small spaces, including under the crack in your door. When you're sleeping, I'd suggest stuffing a towel or some other thing under your door to help prevent bats getting in or out - that way you'll be more sure you got the right bat if you have another bat at night incident.

I'm sorry you're going through this. You seem to be taking it in stride, but (as you may remember, since I posted about it extensively) I had bat problems at an apartment I lived in 5 or 6 years back. It's not fun. On the plus side, the post-exposure rabies shots are only about 6 shots in the arm now, instead of 30 shots in the stomach, or whatever it used to be. It is very, very expensive though - so I hope if you have to get it that either your health insurance has already kicked in, or you have COBRA or a decent gap coverage. When I had it, it was more than $1000 for the series, but my coverage is very good so I think I only ended up paying about $50 ($10 co-pay per visit). Also, you will want to call your clinic of choice ahead of time to be sure they have the immunoglobulin shot on site. Since it is so expensive, a lot of clinics don't keep it on hand, and it can be a pain in the ass to find one that will order it since it's so expensive. I was told numerous times to just go to the ER, though I couldn't get verification from the ER that they had it either. I eventually called a travel clinic where I'd gotten some weird immunizations years before, and they reluctantly agreed to get it and administer it to me.