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The cat and the dog were sitting in the living room watching it go around and around. It might have come in when I let the dog out or in first thing this morning, or it might have found another way in. It settled on the kitchen wall. I put the dog back out and put the cat in his room and shut the door. While I was looking for something to catch it in, it started flying around in the kitchen. I heard it hit something. Now I can't find it. Stupid bat.
Posts: 1379 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Hmm..it might, but I'd rather have a bat than bug spray in my house. And even if they made bat spray, I can't find it to spray it.
Posts: 1379 | Registered: Feb 2002
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"Occasionally a bat may get in your house. If one does, there is no reason to panic! Close interior doors, confine it to one room if possible, and open a window or exterior door.
The bat will leave as soon as it locates the exit.
If the bat lands on a curtain or piece of furniture, cover it with a jar or a towel, or pick it up with a leather glove, and release it outdoors. Determine how the bat got into the house and seal the opening(s)."
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My parents used to have bats in the walls of their house. And then the bats all flew away for the winter and my father put in installation which kept the house warm and prevented the bats from returning; but unfortunately, one of the bats had not left, so they could hear it in the walls going squeak squeak squeak, more and more faintly, and then it finally died. Poor little bat.
Posts: 910 | Registered: May 2000
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Whatever you do, don't handle it. People have gotten rabies from receiving a scratch or a bite while picking up bats.
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I would suggest calling your local humane society. It's possible the bat has gotten injured banging itself all over your kitchen. They have nets too.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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A bat got in my house last week. We actually did try incapacitating it with bug spray (not my idea), irritating it with bright light, scaring it with a loud noise (a vacuum cleaner) all the while trying to chase it toward an open window. Eventually we managed to catch it in a bag, take it outside and release it.
Posts: 1569 | Registered: Dec 2004
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Poor bat. Who came up with the bug spray idea?
I simply open all my windows, close off rooms as I walk through the house, until I'm in the same room with the bat and an open window. Then I walk calmly toward the bat and wave my arms, or a broom to extend my reach. The bat sometimes circles around me, but mostly it tries to stay away, so eventually it goes out the window.
A couple of months ago I got some pictures of bats down by the pond, using a flash. It's difficult to get them in focus, but I got a couple of good ones.
Bat rabies is highly over rated. Numbers are usually based on people treated for rabies, not for bats that test positive for rabies, since the bat usually isn't recovered. A lot of people get treated simply because a healthy bat was flying around their house.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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My mom came up with the bug spray. I protested that it would probably just make it angry, but she insisted. It didn't appear to have any effect whatsoever though. The bat was hanging on a curtain and it didn't even flinch when it was sprayed.
Posts: 1569 | Registered: Dec 2004
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Poor bat. Not mine; mine is gone. Our county hasn't had any bat rabies for at least the last 2 years according to the ODNR website linked above. Just a horse that got skunk rabies. But I'm already Dead_ .
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We had one once, it flew down the chimney. Apparently the floo wasn't closed all the way. After that dad put a chimney cap on. He caught it in a fishing net and let it go.
Posts: 1214 | Registered: Aug 2005
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Only problem with a fishing net is the web is too wide. The bat can seriously injure itself getting caught in one.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Dead--I'm glad your bat is gone (safely, I presume? Out the window?). I'm loving the image of the cat and dog sitting in the living room watching it fly around!
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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We used to get a bat or two per month in the summer--old house in PA, and the house next door was abandoned. They're not to hard to catch once you find them. A cup usually does the trick. If you're -really- fed up, break out a tennis racket.
Posts: 433 | Registered: Feb 2005
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