Staff Writer
Living at a lake, I have become quite comfortable dealing with all of nature’s creatures, including a snake that I became so paranoid about, thinking it was following me every time I went out to work on my flowers.
Aroostook Republican photo/Debra Walsh
A bat house, such as this one, provides a low-maintainence environment for the flying creatures of the night.
It was then suggested to me that since I lived in the woods, near the water, the possibility of there being more than one snake in my flowers was quite high,
Of course, there are the notorious black flies and mosquitoes; the flying ants, crawling ants, beavers who insist on visiting late in the evening, cutting off any errant tree branches near the water, dragon flies, frogs, fox and the occasional very stubborn raccoon who seemingly laugh at you, while draped over a tree branch, methodically removing the top of a birdfeeder , helping themselves.
There are the moose walking down the center of the road, the deer and even a bear now and then but I’ve grown accustomed to all this and have no problem whatsoever with any of these fixtures.
I can honestly say that even a mouse doesn’t really cause me to reach for a weapon anymore, but even more honestly I can say that the one thing I cannot, nor any longer will, put with are bats.
I’ve heard the whole story in regards to bats; how they are simply part of the whole eco system, they eat the black flies and whatever else they can pick out of the air but honestly, there is no need for them.
After their dusk to dawn carousing, they feel the need to crawl into any minute space they might detect, including the walls, roofs, or doorframes of a structure where people live, not to mention just blatantly flying right in through a door opened for longer than two seconds.
I realize that there are many myths attached to bats, how they can stick in your hair. I’m not worried about that but I seriously dislike being all settled in bed, waiting to hear the call of the loons out on the lake, only to figure out immediately, the second the light is shut off, that the scratching sound I had heard earlier, wasn’t one of my cats nor the leaves on the plant rustling beside the door, but rather a bat, in my bedroom. Swooping high and low, zeroing in on an invisible target, as it frantically tries to figure out how to exit a location that it has no business being in the first place.
Bats are so frustrating because a natural reaction for most people, (after covering up their head as it appears to dive bomb at you, at the same time demanding someone take care of that flying monster circling your room) is to turn a light on.
It’s just amazing that once that light comes on, the game of hide and seek begins. What was flapping and whooshing around just seconds ago has disappeared— gone. Don’t be tricked into thinking it was just your imagination, it was and still is there, flattened out behind a picture or the bathroom mirror or maybe hanging upside down on your shower rod. They’re quick, sneaky, not to mention just plain nasty.
As the game continues, I have found that more than one person is needed to successfully win. It may take some time but the idea of thinking it will find its way out the way it came in is just plain foolish. As soon as you turn the light out, (remembering that you have no idea where this creature actually is lurking), you hear it take off again, possible that hair-raising squeak they emit, and the hunt is on again. Forget it, it is physically impossible to follow it in the dark, with your eyes closed and your head ducked down.
With a second person manning the light switch, the first one can try to zero in on the flying mouse once the room is dark, then yelling, “hit it”, (turn the light on- Now) and attempt to dislodge it from the air.
That of course brings to light, what type of weapon of mass destruction one might use, when bat hunting or as some call it, bat patrol, (I prefer to think of it as bat demolition). Obvious weapons may include elbow length work gloves, butterfly net, fishing net, bath towel,(quick accessibility if the monster is hanging from the shower curtain rod), a broom, BB gun, although this one is not highly recommended in close quarters, and at the top of the list is a tennis racket.
I tend to prefer my neighbor when he’s in the area vacationing, then I don’t have to deal with the situation, except for his continuous ribbing regarding my dislike of this subject.
Unfortunately my neighbor ,moved now and only occasionally up here and due to the obvious negative results of my husband swinging a broom ( a push broom, at that ) full force, in the dark, through every room in our house I relay on my tennis racquet. one that my kids often teased about because its’ wood and but it has a very wide face. ….just right for backhanding that elusive bat right out of the air.
Bat houses are recommended as a good solution to the night flying problem. A small, slatted wooden box attached to a pole and placed preferably ( for more than one good reason) away from buildings, amidst other threes. The bats will eventually consider this home and will find their way there over and over, even from year to year. I’ve been informed that even an old television set , with the screen and insides removed will work just fine.
On a cottage or home with possible bat invasions, lengths of small gauged screen secured under the eaves will prevent unwanted entrance and using caulking compound to fill any open exterior spaces around windows and door fames will also help. Be sure to check for any loose or lifted roof shingles , as these are prime locations for the slightly structured bats to enter and create a new home, for themselves and their extended family members.
