# There is a bat in my bedroom .....!!!!



## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

Last night I went into my room and there was a bat flying around !!!! Now I love animals but there's something about having a flying rat in my room that just downright creeps me out !!!! This has to be one of my worst fears .

So it was just sitting on my curtains so I tried to get it into a bucket (while scraping it off with a pizza pan) but it wouldn't let go . So I tried to just take the curtains down and then it started flying all around my head :help:

So I ran out of the room and shut the door , waiting for it to land ....and also trying to stop shaking . When I opened the door again it was gone .....I had already shut my window as to not let any more in (my son had pushed one corner of the screen out earlier which I forgot to put back ) so it's still in there somewhere and I cannot find it . I slept in the recliner last night and hoped it would be back up on the curtains this morning but no such luck .

What do I do ???? I'm afraid to call animal control out because I'm way over the limits for pets allowed in town .....

I guess I'll just start having to go thru each thing ,one by one ......

My husband doesn't get home until Wednesday ..... how much harm could it do if it can't be found until then ?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

By Wednesday it will either be dead or have flown back out. They have to eat a lot of insects every night to stay alive. They do not get into things and make messes but they will drop some poop under where they are roosting. Bat poops look like rat poops.

Don't want to scare you too much but we have had a large number of bats around here test positive for rabies.


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## BaronsMom (May 22, 2005)

Bats in and around Structures - http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=654

That link has info on what to do if a bat is in your house...

and the risks involved if in a room where someone is sleeping - -


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## uyk7 (Dec 1, 2002)

> Don't want to scare you too much but we have had a large number of bats around here test positive for rabies.


From what I have read, bats can bite you without you even knowing that were bit. If in doubt, see a doctor and see if you need to take the "shots".



.


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## holleegee (Mar 3, 2005)

uyk7 said:


> From what I have read, bats can bite you without you even knowing that were bit. If in doubt, see a doctor and see if you need to take the "shots".
> 
> 
> 
> .


I agree. when you find it you need to take it to animal control and have it tested for rabies.


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## Madame (Jan 1, 2003)

uyk7 said:


> From what I have read, bats can bite you without you even knowing that were bit. If in doubt, see a doctor and see if you need to take the "shots".
> 
> 
> 
> .


My daughter and I had to do that some years ago. It's a hassle, but not terribly painful (used to be far worse).


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

DW has three words of advice: Holiday Inn Express


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

If you were awake when it came in and you KNOW it didn't touch you, you should be ok. If you aren't certain if it touched you or not, it would be VERY beneficial to find it and have it tested. It can be dead when you test it (been through a LOT of this recently so I've learned the rules). My 13 yr old son, 18 mo old nephew and my bro and SIL have all been through shots in the last couple of years in three separate incidents. Two were "can't find the bat and it was in our room when we were asleep" and the other was "touching a dead bat that then tested positive for rabies." The shots aren't that bad any more and your local public health dept usually covers the cost of them. That said, taking apart the room and finding it would probably take less time than sitting in the ER or Dr's waiting room and explaining what happened 5 or 6 times over the next 6 weeks.


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

Oh .....my ......gosh ......

shots ? rabies ? 

That is SO not what I wanted to hear ! :bash:


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

Maybe not if you can find it, Amy! Think of it as trying to find a gold coin in there! :bash:


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

Daphne , hhahahaha You just gave me an idea to motivate myself to be brave here and just fine the stupid thing . I am going to treat myself to something to reward myself once I find it and get rid of it ! I have no idea what I'm going to treat myself with yet , but it'll be good ! :buds:


Well ,I called Pest Control hoping they would come out ,but they're booked for a week  He did say that it is probably on the floor as once bats fall to the ground they can't fly .They need to be about 5 feet off the ground to be able to do so . I just hope it didn't come underneath the doors last night ! Ack ! 

I know the bat didn't touch me so I should be okay there . And luckily it was just me , no kids in the room .......

So off I go :viking: :hobbyhors


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## harvestgirl (Apr 29, 2005)

do you have a window in your room? if so, take the screen out & use the screen to guide it out if you can. that's what i had to do once, worked quite well.

goodluck


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## CherieOH (Jun 10, 2005)

BaronsMom said:


> Bats in and around Structures - http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=654
> 
> That link has info on what to do if a bat is in your house...
> 
> and the risks involved if in a room where someone is sleeping - -


That article said bats can slip through an opening 1/4" to 3/8" wide. 

Good luck locating and getting rid of the bat.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2008)

That bat doesn't want to stay in the room either..LOL

When I had bats in the house, at first I panicked..then I read about them..chances are great that the bat followed an insect in and now wants to get OUT..the simplest thing is just to open the window..Bats follow air currents..if the window is open, the bat will fly out and you can wave "Bye Bye".

If it were me, I'd go into the room, close the door , open that window a half-hour before dusk and sit in a chair by the door so I could see the bat leave..bats do not attack people..their ability to avoid your body is remarkable!

BTW, I like bats..LOL..


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

To get a bat out of the room at night, open the windows, turn out the lights and leave the room, closing the door.

A healthy bat will find it's way out quickly.


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## BaronsMom (May 22, 2005)

CherieOH said:


> That article said bats can slip through an opening 1/4" to 3/8" wide.
> 
> Good luck locating and getting rid of the bat.


Yup - just like a mouse... 

*Mice can squeeze through holes the size of a dime - about what you can poke a pencil through as a guide

*Rats squeeze through holes the size of a quarter

*Racoons squeeze through openings the size of your fist (medium sized hands, not large ones)

Pretty amazing!!!


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## nappy (Aug 17, 2003)

Three weeks ago I started a thread about waking up to a bat flying around the bedroom. After reading information about bats and the statistics on deaths from rabid bats, I decided not to do the shots. First of all, I'm a light sleeper and would have felt the bat land on me even if I couldn't feel the bite. The statistics for Michigan show one death from bat rabies in 1983. In the US in 56 years there have been 51 deaths due to bat rabies...4 of those from organ transplants from a person having rabies. I did call the local health dept. about this....they insisted I give them my name/address though they probably have caller ID. Those shots are to be started IMMEDIATELY upon possible exposure but I was told that if I could catch the bat it would be tested and results obtained overnight. I told them I would think about it. And I did. It is up to the person whether they want to go ahead with the shots...I just didn't feel that either my DH or I was bitten. If we had tried catching the bat (we never saw it again), we might have been bitten even if we were careful. Contrary to common myth bats try to avoid humans and are not aggressive. Read about bats on this website provided by a poster on my previous thread. 

http://www.batcon.org/home/default.asp

Nappy


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## BaronsMom (May 22, 2005)

nappy said:


> It is up to the person whether they want to go ahead with the shots...I just didn't feel that either my DH or I was bitten. If we had tried catching the bat (we never saw it again), we might have been bitten even if we were careful. Contrary to common myth bats try to avoid humans and are not aggressive. Read about bats on this website provided by a poster on my previous thread.
> 
> http://www.batcon.org/home/default.asp
> 
> Nappy


State Health Departments have changed how they are handling situations where people wake up to find a bat, or find a bat in a small child or elderly person's room. They have to assume the person may have been bitten because the risk from rabies is too great and consequences of an untreated bite potentially deadly.

From the pub I posted above- http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=654:

Nebraska has adopted new recommended protocol for handling potential bat-human exposures. Assume a person was bitten if: 

*He/she awakens to find a bat in the room; 
*A bat is found in the room with someone unable to communicate well (i.e. children, intoxicated or otherwise mentally impaired); 
*The bat made contact with a person. 

In these situations, do not release the bat. Take care not to damage the batâs head (no tennis racquets, please). Contact local health officials to determine where the bat needs to be sent for rabies testing. If the bat is not found within a couple of hours, consult health professionals about needed treatment.

*****

As my DS just called me to tell me the house he just moved into with four friends to go to college, had a bat flying around the living room. He chose to dispatch it with a BB gun (all are farm/ranch kids in the house) - but, I really did teach him how to safely remove a bat from a building...without harming it


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## Baba (Aug 7, 2008)

Call the local animal control to remove it. Bats are considered the best at insect control so local farmers would certainly have use for one. They can be safely removed and relocated to help others.


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

horsepoor21 said:


> He did say that it is probably on the floor as once bats fall to the ground they can't fly .They need to be about 5 feet off the ground to be able to do so .


I was out camping and watched a sick bat in the day light(to keep my dogs away). It was on the ground, and flopped around, but it flew off and away from off the ground, so..?.

Just open a window/door wide, they'll find the way out.


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

Well , I have been searching since this morning , I've moved every piece of furniture , went thru every droor , pulled blankets and sheets off of every bed . I can't find the dang thing and it HAS to be in here somewhere ..... So I'm not really sure where me and the kids will sleep .... It could be anywhere .:help:


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Our neighbor had one between 2 bookcases. There was about 1/4 inch of space between the bookcases and he had no idea there could be a bat there. Dh was helping him move a bookcase when the bat flew out, and dh screamed like a little girl.

If it is still light where you are you should do as bostonlesley posted, open the curtains and window an the screen, shut the door, and wait patiently for the bat to leave.

wyld thang, some types of bats can fly from a perch on the ground. Vampire bats are one, another is a common western bat but I can't remember which species. The eastern bats can't fly from the ground.


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## Quint (Nov 12, 2004)

I had one in the house a year or so ago. I put on some gloves, swatted it out of the air, picked it up and tossed it outside. No need for all the dramatics.

I once had a job where I was called frequently to deal with bats in office and educational buildings. They get into the building somehow and someone would see one and the PSH would begin. I'd get the call and go over and gather them up. You just swat them as they fly by and it stuns them so you can pick them up. If you've got good enough hand-eye coordination you can reach up and grab them right out of the air as they fly past. If there were more than one I'd put them in my coat pockets until I'd caught them all. Sometimes I'd end up having a little nature seminar when people would be curious and want to see one close up. Show them their claws and little tiny teeth and let them see how tiny they actually are. 

Once I had gathered them up I'd take them outside and fish them out of my pockets and turn them loose. Never got rabies or fell over dead.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

For some reason I just had a flash back to the movie "The Big Chill". They had a bat get in, so they opened the window to let it out...and instead two more flew in! lol Sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear either, and I'm sure it wouldn't really happen. That does sound like the best advice, really.

As some said, even if you have to get the shots they're not bad at all these days. I had to have rabies shots in the early 70's after getting bitten by a dog that ran off and no one could identify. Back then they were a much longer series...and given in the stomach, now THOSE hurt like the dickens!


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

We keep a *butterfly net*, the kind sold for kids, just for this purpose. It's a rare summer we don't get one or two in the house. Fortunately, *our cat* alerts us to their presence. If I see her staring at something, I always check it out. DS (33) is in charge of bats - he's become really good at scooping them out of the air with the net, turning the net to contain them and transporting them outdoors. I call him BATMAN. 

Yes, there is a risk in having a bat in the house. Fortunately, we usually see them before bedtime. Typically they will fly in circles around a light fixture. When they land, unless they are on a plain, light-coloured surface, they are almost invisible. We have rustic wood walls in the living room which makes them very hard to spot without the aid of our trusty moggle. :benice:


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

Da da da DA !!! The bat is GONE !!!!!!!!

Last night my great motherly instinct kicked in and I decided to have all the kids sleep with me in the living room . That way all of our dogs ( 4 newfoundlands) could fit too and we'd feel safer and hopefully be alerted of any flying creatures ...... Had all the lights on hoping the bat would stay in the dark rooms .... I couldn't sleep a wink and kept thinking "I am NOT doing this another night ,we're going to a motel tomorrow night" ...I stayed up until light time (about 5 something this morning) and then my 5yr old sold wakes me up at 6:30 and says "Mommy , there's a bat behind you !" I turn around and it's sitting on the curtains ! I got all the kids and dogs out of the room and chased it back and forth (I am no longer afraid , just ticked off anymore !) and I finally decided to call the police department in hopes they would send someone over to help me . Cop shows up in just a few minutes (I'm just 2 blocks from them) and I point to where it is , he tells me "I'll scare it , you catch it "  Not what I wanted to hear ! haha
So he made it fly and I caught it in mid air with a towel , handed it to him and off it went , out of my house ! yaaaaaaaay ! 

I will NEVER leave a window open without the screen in all the way again !

Thankyou everyone for all of your help !
-Amy (who's seriously considering getting a cat now .......)


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

horsepoor21 said:


> So he made it fly and I caught it in mid air with a towel , handed it to him and off it went , out of my house !


 So it was still in the house all along! Ummm, at the risk of asking a stupid question, are they going to test it or did he (I hope not) let it go????? Soooooo glad ya'll found the critter!


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

Yep , they'll test it . I guess it's just a little baby . See , they've been trying to get under our siding right above my bedroom window , and when my son pushed that one corner of the screen out on top I think it just dropped right in . The pest control says this is the time of year that baby bats start coming out of the "nursery" (I don't think nursery and bat should be in the same sentence !!!) ....

So today to reward myself I went yard saleing and found lots of great deals .Even met a really nice Mom a few houses down with kids the same ages as mine (normally I'd be too shy to say any more than hello ....but I caught a bat ,I don't have to be scared now ,right ? hahahaha) and then went to town and did lots of fun stuff with the kids and treated them to ice cream , thanking them for dealing with panic attack mommy :angel:


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

horsepoor21 said:


> So today to reward myself I went yard saleing and found lots of great deals .Even met a really nice Mom a few houses down with kids the same ages as mine (normally I'd be too shy to say any more than hello ....but I caught a bat ,I don't have to be scared now ,right ? hahahaha) and then went to town and did lots of fun stuff with the kids and treated them to ice cream , thanking them for dealing with panic attack mommy :angel:


You's the bat-catcher woman, Amy!!!!!!!!!! You can do anything! Ice cream cures EVERYTHING!!!:icecream::icecream::icecream: Glad that something good came of the situation!


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## daretodream (Nov 12, 2007)

So glad you found him and he went bye bye! I once opened a door to get to a dumpster that the library used and a bat flew right at me. Never knew I could run that fast!


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## horsepoor21 (Mar 14, 2007)

daretodream > hahaha I know ! All I kept wanting to do was run out of the house when it started flying , but then I rememberd the kids ...... :grit:


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