How to deal with bats in the house and apartment

How to get rid of bats if they have settled in a private house

First of all, it is necessary to determine the place where the animals live.
Usually these are attics, cracks in walls, ventilation, and some settle on balconies or between floors. Usually this place is abandoned and dry, but there is a place to sleep. Finding the place of residence is not difficult - there is a lot of excrement around it (dark powder, often with shiny elements on the surface). Or wait until dark and see where they fly from.

It is important to start the process by making sure that there are no mouse carcasses left in the cracks, otherwise they may begin to rot there.

It is very humane not just to drive animals out of their old habitat, but to make a new nest and drive them there. This is especially useful in dachas; as is known, they effectively destroy insects and other pests, but at the same time they will no longer bother the owners of the building.

The simplest way, but not always effective. You need to wait until all the animals leave their habitat and board up the gap through which they enter the room. You can simply nail up the gap or fill it with foam, and also nail down rags or polyethylene.

Chemical method

Smoker

One of the ways to get rid of an unwanted neighborhood is to smoke. A smoker is suitable for this. It is important not to overdo it and extend the process over 2-3 days.

Animals don't like water, so showering daily is an effective way to get rid of them without harming them. They will have to repeat the procedure for 3-4 days, after which they will decide to change their place of residence.

Ultrasonic rodent repeller Tornado OG.08-200

This is a special device that emits ultrasonic waves that repel mice and prevent them from returning to the room. Using the device is quite simple, just plug it into a power outlet. It is silent and safe for humans and pets, and does not require any settings. The mice will disappear in 10-14 days.

Everything is quite simple. Bats do not build any special houses or nests. Caves and cracks in rocky mountains often serve as a refuge for them. But everyone knows that man, through his actions, is gradually destroying nature, and the habitat of animals is narrowing. They often move closer to people - to villages, cities and even megacities. Here they have settled well in attics, basements, unfinished or abandoned buildings.

While looking for a new home, they may mistakenly fly inside an apartment. Then we frantically begin to look for a way out of this situation and ask ourselves the question of how to catch a bat. They also often enter our house from the balcony, hunting for insects. The animal is so “carried away” by the process of chasing the desired food that it simply breaks into the room and becomes an uninvited guest. In addition, bats are partially blind and do not always distinguish an obstacle in the form of glass. In the air, bats rely only on echolocation.

What are harmful things in the house?

Having seen a bat in their home, the only thought that comes to mind for many people is to grab it with their hands and throw it out into the street. However, you need to know that you should not take this animal with your bare hands. What you need to know about the dangers of flying mice:

When frightened, the mouse may bite. The bite itself is not as terrible as its possible consequences. An animal may be infected with rabies and other dangerous viruses that are transmitted by a bite.
If a flying animal stays indoors for a long time, it leaves droppings. You need to know that its vapor contains fungus. If vapors enter the respiratory tract in large quantities, they can cause histoplasmosis.
Naturally, in the presence of these uninvited guests, a person simply will not be able to sleep peacefully. In addition to the very fact of presence, a person will be disturbed by the grinding of claws and other sounds made by predators.

However, in addition to the disadvantages, there are also positive aspects to this situation. For example, if bats have settled in a country house where there are more pests, then it is recommended to think carefully about their eviction. These predators can become good protection for your crops and plantations.

( Video : “Found a bat, what to do?”)

What to do

According to local folk beliefs, the arrival of a night visitor is associated with a warning of misfortune. In China, the appearance of an animal is welcomed - it is believed that it signals good luck in business and an imminent improvement in the family’s financial situation. What does the visit of a winged guest mean from a biological point of view:

young age - inexperienced mice, in the heat of excitement, miss and fly into open windows;
migration time - the search for new secluded places brings them into houses and balconies.

Important! Bats fly into apartments by mistake, and not for bloodthirsty purposes. The lost guest needs help.

Compliance with safety measures

If a bat flew into the house through the ventilation, then catching it will not be difficult. A person should protect themselves as much as possible from accidental bites: wear thick gloves, a tracksuit or sweater to protect the skin.

Once in an unfamiliar room, the mouse begins to fly hysterically, trying to find a way out. She needs time to calm down and sit on some surface (including walls). Experts advise adhering to the following algorithm for driving away uninvited visitors:

take an empty medium-sized box so that it covers the mouse along with its wings;
cover a sitting animal with it;
carefully insert the cardboard between the wall and the box;
go out into the street or loggia and free the animal.

All actions are carried out as carefully as possible - so as not to damage the thin wings.

Important! In most countries, the destruction of bats is prohibited - they are listed in the Red Book and are protected by law.

We suggest you read: Acute parasitic chronic colitis and others in cats

When unexpected guests appear, there is no need to make noise trying to catch them. Zoologists recommend the following scheme:

ask all household members to leave the room;
open the window;
turn off all lighting sources - chandeliers, night lights;
go out and close the doors tightly behind you.

After half an hour, look into the room - in 99% of cases, the bat will leave its confines on its own. Otherwise, you can catch a thrashing animal with a thick towel or a net. The main thing when fishing is not to let yourself be bitten or scratched.

Folk remedies

Bat in a trap

Homemade recipes are suitable for those who have encountered a whole colony of animals that have chosen an attic or technical floor in a multi-story building for permanent residence. Permanent residence creates a number of inconveniences: the animals rustle loudly, squeak and squeak their claws on wooden and metal surfaces.

To get rid of constant fuss, you can try several means of expulsion:

Mothballs - rodents and bats cannot tolerate the aroma emanating from it. Tablets or bags of powder are placed in habitats - near nests or large amounts of droppings. An unpleasant smell will prevent old and new colonies from flying into the attic and establishing a nesting place in it.
Aromatherapy - special incense sticks or essential oils work no worse than naphthalene. The animals have a negative attitude towards the smell of chamomile, peppermint, and common tansy. Wormwood, dog's tongue, wild rosemary and elderberry roots also repel uninvited guests.
Loud sounds - heavy rock, turned on for several hours, will give the winged creatures a good shake-up and force them to look for another place to live.
The sources of noise (you can buy ready-made ones or make them yourself) are a weather vane, Chinese “wind music” or the thinnest metal plates hung close to each other creating a cacophony that is unpleasant for their sensitive hearing.
Light - bright lighting fixtures simulating daylight and placed around the perimeter of the attic will cause panic among bats. Using lanterns for several nights in a row will drive impostors out of your home.
Closing the entrances - you need to find all the cracks through which mice enter the home and cover them with polyurethane foam. The procedure is carried out at the moment when the inhabitants have flown away to hunt or have been frightened away from their nests by loud sounds and light.
Fear - in the daytime, one animal is carefully caught and placed in a box with drilled holes. With the onset of darkness, it will begin to scream, trying to get out and warning its relatives of the danger. The flock will react to its fellow tribesman and leave the den in full force. After they leave, the prisoner is taken outside and released.

Important! Experts recommend using a smoker - bats cannot stand its smell. Before carrying out an action to evacuate uninvited guests, you need to warn your neighbors: vigilant citizens, seeing a smoke screen, can call the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

What danger do they pose?

The main mistake homeowners make when a bat gets into their apartment is panic. You should not do this; the creature may become frightened and begin to make a loud squeak, causing discomfort to everyone. Although the animal is considered safe for humans, there are some risks:

A bat may bite if you try to grab it. For protection, you need to use gloves. Animal droppings are very dangerous, because they are infected with histoplasmosis. As a result of the action of the fungus, a person can develop serious respiratory tract diseases. It enters the body by airborne droplets, through vapors coming out of feces. Spores become airborne if you step on them after drying. To protect against harmful effects, you can simply remove the droppings. If bats live in a colony in the attic and leave feces, then you must use a respirator during your work. The worst danger to humans is the possibility of contracting rabies. Bats carry the disease without visible signs. The creatures are at peace, without aggression, but exceptions are possible. Sick bats attack anything that moves. Their life expectancy in captivity is no more than five days. In some cases, people become infected while helping an exhausted animal that is on the ground, without using gloves or other protective equipment.

Bats can be dangerous not only to people, but also to pets. Therefore, it is important to promptly determine the presence of creatures in the house and take measures to remove them.

How to catch a bat in an apartment or enclosed space?

Sometimes they fly into open windows and doors when hunting for their prey. A bat flew into the apartment, what should I do?

You must wear thick leather gloves on your hands to avoid injury and rabies infection. You need to open a window or door if possible. She herself will find a way out through the flow of fresh air. You can help her determine the location of the exit from the room - just scratch something near the exit, the animal will determine the direction of the exit by the sound and will be able to fly out on its own;
You should not immediately rush at the animal - it is better to wait until it sits on some surface;
If the animal is flying low to the ground, you can throw a towel or other heavy cloth over it. The bird will not be able to fly, but will also avoid injury;
Carefully wrap the animal in a cloth thrown over it, but under no circumstances remove the gloves, it can bite through the towel;
If it is high, then you can catch it with a bucket or large jar. Then you need to insert the lid between the wall and the walls of the container. Try not to harm the bat;
After capture, it must be taken away from the house, and all doors and windows must be closed to avoid the animal from flying in again;
Carefully remove the cloth or cover and move away, trying not to let the animal out of sight. Most likely, the animal will not be able to take off immediately, but will first jump on the ground and only then fly;
If the animal still has injuries, it is better to take it to the veterinarian. It is quite possible that the mouse will not be able to take off immediately due to fatigue, then you need to bring it to a tree that it can climb. The main thing is not to take off your gloves.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with: Spiny mouse. Description and Taming

Bats can sometimes live in captivity. What do bats eat at home?

The same as in the wild - carnivores need to be given small pieces of meat and offal, various midges and insects, and some species of mice love fruits and various herbs. They drink water and milk, and some mice like diluted condensed milk. It depends on the type of mouse and what it eats in captivity. It is important to know that not all species of bats can live in captivity, so you should learn all about the mouse species before purchasing.

Bat

Bats are interesting creatures that can help get rid of pests in the country, but whose proximity is not always desirable. To scare them away from any place, you need to know what bats are afraid of. Basically, it is water, smoke, ultrasound. Nowadays, special aerosols and chemicals are very often used that harm animals. You need to resort to them after other methods have not helped get rid of them, and then when there are no animals nearby.

Conclusion

If a mouse flies into a room, then you should not be afraid of it, but you need to help it fly free or carefully catch it and take it outside. If it is impossible to cope with this on your own, then you need to call special services that can help.

The main thing is not to panic! Remember that these animals are not at all dangerous to humans. There are only three species of these animals in the world that suck blood. They live only in South and Central America and usually feed on the blood of cows.

How to catch a bat is described in detail by step-by-step instructions. You can build a special trap. To create it you will need: nylon net and rope, insulating tape, foam rubber, fishing rods and wire. We make a frame from a rope and insert a fabric from a net into it. The size of such a “picture” should be approximately 2 by 3 meters.

We attach the rope to the canvas, threading it through small holes and tying it into knots. Loops should hang from them a couple of centimeters. We thread any sticks or poles through them; fishing rods are perfect for this role. We secure them with tape. We make additional wire loops at the top and bottom of the fabric. Next we fix the net on poles.

We connect the lower loops with wire loops. An elastic band that we fold several times works well. This is done so that when swinging it is sufficiently taut. The net must also be strong and elastic in order to support the weight of the animal. That's it, our trap is ready. With the help of a pry, you can catch a mouse and carefully release it into the wild.

How to catch and drive animals out of a room

If you find a bat flying into your apartment, it is advisable to do without panic. To catch her, you need to take the following steps:

If there are children and pets in the room, take them to another room.
Open the window, turn on the light and leave the room. It is possible that a calmed animal will leave the apartment on its own after a while.
If the animal continues to fly around the room, wait until it gets tired and sits down on a flat surface. Under no circumstances should you shoot down a hovering animal, as you will cause irreparable harm to it.
Put on thick gloves and, armed with a regular cardboard box or jar, calmly and slowly approach the mouse and cover it.
Wait a few minutes for the mouse to calm down. Then take a flat piece of cardboard and push it between the box and the surface on which the animal is sitting.
Holding the sheet of cardboard tightly, carefully turn the box with the small captive over. Further actions depend on the time of year:
If a bat has flown in in the spring, late autumn or winter, you cannot let it out into the street, but it is better to contact a veterinarian.

Catching a bat safely - video in English

If you find a sleeping bat in your apartment, it is advisable to hold it in your hands, allowing it to come out of sleep, and then release it into the wild.

A bat flew into the apartment - video

How to get rid of bats in your roof or attic

Most often, bats move into the attics of residential buildings as summer approaches. This is due to the fact that they are preparing to reproduce. The first signs of new guests can be seen as early as April or May. Most often these are noises at night, a decrease in the number of harmful insects in the local area, as well as traces of droppings on the roof.

Bats usually move into attics in the spring.

It is strictly forbidden to expel bats during the period of feeding their cubs. The reason is that the babies will not be able to follow the adult females, not yet being able to fly. You will condemn young animals to a painful death, whose corpses will become a breeding ground for infection in the attic. Therefore, it is not recommended to fight bats in the summer, postponing this until the onset of autumn. The advantages of such a neighborhood will be ridding the garden of insect pests.

Baby bats die without adult care

With the arrival of autumn, you can safely begin clearing the attic spaces of uninvited guests.

It is necessary to calculate the places through which animals make their way into your premises. Such loopholes include chimneys, holes and gaps in the walls, and narrow cracks running along the walls. Typically, animals prefer dry spaces that are well protected from extraneous noise, where they can comfortably settle down to sleep. The location of the bat's habitat is indicated by an accumulation of droppings, sparkling with elements of insect shells.
If, according to the described signs, it was not possible to find the mice’s shelter, you should wait until it gets dark and trace where these unusual nocturnal animals fly out from.
When the flock flies off to hunt at night, carefully seal the holes that act as entrances and exits, after making sure that there is no one else in the attic. Metal mesh and sealants, which can be purchased at hardware stores, are suitable for this purpose. Once back, the winged residents will no longer be able to enter the attic.

You cannot use toxic substances or try to physically eliminate the animals. Some species of bats are listed in the Red Book.

After expelling the bats, it is recommended to thoroughly clean the attic of traces of their activity and disinfect the room.

How dangerous are pests and diseases?

Contact with bats can lead to serious viral and fungal diseases. A frightened animal, when picked up, bites, along with saliva, transmitting bacteria and viruses directly into the blood of the offender.

The most dangerous pathologies that can be transmitted to humans include:

Rabies is an incurable disease that requires an immediate visit to the hospital for vaccination. It begins with changes in behavior, unreasonable aggressiveness, anxiety, and headache attacks. As it progresses, the person develops dehydration, paralysis, and death.
Darling's disease is transmitted by inhalation of spores that rise into the air when moving through the feces of animals. The symptoms of the disease can easily be confused with the flu; the only difference is the absence of fever.

We invite you to read: Caucasian Shepherd Dog: what a purebred guard dog of this breed looks like

Bats carry many diseases that are fatal to humans. Depending on the area of residence, they are capable of transmitting Ebola, Marburg, Hendra fever, and SARS.

Important! A bite from an animal that collides with a person requires immediate medical attention. The victim will have to undergo a course of rabies vaccinations to prevent rabies infection.

Neighborhood dangers

Aggressive bat

The unpleasant coexistence with the bat colony is due to the interference it creates. People who are faced with the unauthorized colonization of bats make complaints:

to constant noise - night activity and fussing interferes with sleep, scares children;
unpleasant odors and dirt - waste products are scattered under permanent habitats, emitting a disgusting aroma;
unsanitary conditions - animals are carriers of infections and viruses, including those dangerous to humans; their droppings contain many pathogens and parasites;
roof damage - animals gnaw holes in the insulation and waterproofing of the insulation; their activity requires constant repair of the roof.

The main danger when encountering blood-sucking bats is bites. Automatic protective reflexes of animals lead to infection of people; in Russia, between May and September, they spread rabies. In other species of animals, problems are caused by droppings, as the main transmitter of fungal infections.

Important! Epidemiologists advise cleaning rooms from traces of bats' activity using gloves and a respirator. After treatment, all clothing is disinfected and thoroughly ironed.

Signs associated with bats

Our people are very superstitious. They are sure that if a bat visits the house, it is definitely bad luck. In Scotland, for example, they say that this harmless beast is the messenger of the devil himself. If a flock of mice flies upward, then the Scots believe that the apogee of evil spirits has arrived.

If a chiropteran animal not only burst into the house, but also flew into a person, then this promises the death of one of the household members or major troubles. But most often the appearance of animals is associated with death. For example, a mouse flew around the room more than three times - a sign of a quick funeral in this house. If someone brings home a bat on their own, this means illness.

In fact, all these are relics of the past, when people were afraid of darkness and everything connected with it. Since the bat is a nocturnal animal, it inspired fear and was associated with evil spirits. In the 21st century, believing this is not just stupid, it is a sign of ignorance, since any encyclopedia will tell you about the harmlessness of mice and their benefits for humanity.

How to catch in the house

Often these night hunters can accidentally get into a house from the street. As a result, they can cause uncontrollable panic and anxiety among housewives. It should be noted that this animal is even more afraid of humans, since in a confined space they feel vulnerable.

Typically, bats love dark, dry places, and attics or old attics are excellent for these purposes. If a person does not take care of these places, then it can become a home for many animals and insects. Having chosen this place, predators simply terrify their owners with their large numbers.

Catching one bat is not difficult, as you can use traps or catch it using a regular net. But when a whole brood of these predators has settled in the house, more effective measures will be required.

To get rid of these animals, it is best to use special means rather than catching each bat individually. You can install an ultrasonic repeller in your home, which works very well against these predators. Mice are sensitive to low frequency sound waves, so they will soon leave the house due to an unfavorable environment. The device affects the nervous and auditory systems of animals, and they will stay away from this place.

Favorite places to live

Unpleasant neighborhood

Before getting rid of bats, it is necessary to locate all their habitats. Chiropterans prefer to settle in dry rooms, with a large number of protrusions to which they cling and hang upside down:

in multi-storey buildings they prefer attics and technical floors;
in apartments, animals nest in the ventilation system or on the loggia;
in rural areas, encounters with unwanted guests occur more often: wooden structures and poor insulation allow them to be located in chicken coops, cowsheds, outbuildings, and under the roof of residential buildings.

Important! The exact location of the nests is determined by piles of droppings: dark brown interspersed with shiny dots (insect shells). It is impossible to confuse it with the excrement of other animals, including rats and field mice.

How to catch with a homemade trap

One of the main fears for most women is rats and mice. Then what can we say about flying creatures. You should not be afraid of bats, as they do not drink human blood. In addition, all species that live in our area feed exclusively on insects. Therefore, while hunting, they may accidentally fly into your house. Usually these are kitchens or balconies, where windows are often open to ventilate the premises. If there is no mosquito net in the window frames, you may need to catch the animal yourself.

The only threat that can come from bats is the transmitted rabies virus. In order not to become infected with it, you need to do everything so that it cannot bite you. Of course, the percentage of sick mice is extremely low, but there is a possibility. For example, these predators do not have even one percent of the entire population as carriers, while stray dogs have 40%.

Bats are extremely shy creatures and spend all daylight hours in places where predators cannot reach them. The question of how to catch bats arises among apartment owners when these creatures get into the ventilation shafts from the attics, and then end up in the apartment through them.

It is very important to figure out how to catch a bat in advance, since incorrect actions in this situation can cause severe injury or even death of this creature. The thing is that the bones of bats have significant air gaps and are characterized by increased fragility, so strong pressure can lead to fractures and other injuries.

Prevention

To prevent the infestation of bats, simple rules must be followed. Experts focus on the following points:

space under the roof - even small cracks can serve as an entrance for the compact bodies of animals;
air ducts and ventilation systems are covered with thin meshes or grilles blocking the passage;
in areas of possible settlement, hang foil, tins - anything that creates noise during air circulation;
lighting - animals do not like places where sunlight freely penetrates.

It is better not to use chemicals in aerosols or baits - most bats are protected by law, and their destruction will lead to large fines. You can find out about permitted methods at your local sanitary and epidemiological station. If there are no results in expelling a flock of bats on your own, you can apply for a team specializing in this issue.

The best season for clearing your home of animals is autumn. In winter they hibernate, and in spring and summer they reproduce. Colonies consist of females raising their young. Attempts to breed mice at this time will lead to the death of the young.

How to get rid of bats: folk methods of struggle

Many species of bats are included in the Red Book: they cannot be killed, and poisoning is also prohibited. All that remains is to work “to expel” the colony from its territory. If they have settled in a place where they can get there on their own, it is worth building a trap from a fishing net or telescopic rod.

Using two telescopic rods you can build a mobile bat trap

How to drive an animal away from a balcony, attic, roof: mobile trap

You can make it yourself from available materials. To make it you will need:

telescopic rods;
nylon mesh and rope;
insulating tape;
foam rubber

Popular Prestige remedy for the Colorado potato beetle

Manufacturing procedure:

A kind of frame is made from rope.
A piece of nylon mesh measuring 2 by 3 meters is attached to it.
Using knots, the mesh is tied at the corners with a rope. The knots should be even, straight, with loops at the end.
The rods are freed from the rings. The flexible and thinnest ends are cut off.
Using electrical tape, loops bent from wire are attached to the upper parts of the rods.
Attach the net to the fishing rods in this way:
10–15 centimeters retreat from the ends of the rod;
The lower nylon loops are attached to the wire loops; it is better to do this with an elastic band, slightly gathering the mesh.
To prevent the bat from being harmed, foam rubber is sewn onto the top of the trap.
You need to work with such a trap according to the principle of a net.

A mobile trap for bats should be used according to the net principle.

A fishing net trap is an easy way to catch and drive away bats.

This device is suitable for summer cottages where mature trees grow. It's easy to do:

On the path where mice often fly, choose 2 trees.
A net with small cells is stretched between them and the mammals become entangled in it.

The caught bats are then released away from the house. The disadvantage of these methods is that you will have to keep watch when the colony of animals goes for a walk. And since they fly out after midnight and even closer to dawn, there is no good night for either the bats or you. And the silence after such deliverance will not last long: the colonies are strenuously trying to return to their former place of residence.

A fishing net strung between large trees is a simple trap for bats.

Concreting cracks, mothballs and other ways to remove bats from the premises

Another way to drive bats out of your home is to concrete the cracks so that the animals have nowhere to return after a short absence. This is not easy to do, since the animal can slip into a gap that is much smaller than the mammal itself.

Ordinary naphthalene will also help in expelling bats.

Mothballs are placed on a small square gauze or loose fabric measuring 10 by 10 cm.
The gauze is collected and tied into a bag.
Such bags should be placed in a place where animals live. The bats will leave it because they cannot stand the smell of mothballs.

Another tip to keep these animals away from your balcony or attic is to use foil and balloons. During the daytime, you need to hang them around the area where mice live.

The smell of mothballs repels bats