Last night we had another bat visitor; this is our third bat of the year. Ironically, Folwell had one as well yesterday. Our other two bats were quickly caught (sort of) and released. This one proved more difficult and moved into the basement. We expect it has gone back to sleep somewhere in one of the many nooks and crannies that exist down there and we figure he’s probably asleep again until spring.
So being a full on geek, I hit the internet… looking for how to get a bat out, here’s what I found out.
- Allow the bat to land, catching it mid air may hurt the bat.
- Toss a towel (never any sort of netting) over the bat and scoop it up carefully. Some folks recommend a wet (not dripping) towel.
- If it’s on a wall, place a coffee can or other hard container over the bat and slide cardboard or the lid under the can gently coaxing the bat into the can.
- Wear gloves, if possible, when handling the bat. Bats can cary disease.
- Trap them in a room and open any exterior windows or doors in that room, they’ll likely leave on their own.
Anyone wanting to know more about bats can find lots of good information here, here and here.
Bat image was found at lookoutranch.com.
