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Barnyard Buddies:  Bat!  |
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clothedinscarlet
True Blue Farmgirl
1333 Posts
Siobhan
Battle Creek
MI
USA
1333 Posts |
 Posted - May 24 2010 : 9:05:11 PM
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OK, so not really barnyard buddy, but thought I would let you ladies know that I was awakened by a bat swooping in front of my face in my bedroom this morning! Eeeeeks! It was totally flipping out and I still don't know how it got IN my bedroom. I dove under the covers and waited while my hero hubby opened the bedroom window and took the screen out. He then swatted the bat down from it's fearful flying frenzy with the screen and caught it in a bowl before releasing it out the open window. I'm really not afraid of bats, but when one is going bonkers in your little bedroom all you can think is, "I know this thing is going to swoop down blindly and get all tangled up in my long hair." (Hence the reason I was hiding under the covers) LOL! It was quite a rude awakening....
Farmgirl Sister #1110
Siobhan - AKA Liza-Jane (my farmgirl name), wife to my best friend, Trent, and mommy to Camden (11/28/05) and Bennett (7/11/07). and Truman (7/28/09) |
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maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2010 : 9:23:54 PM
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I would think the same thing Siobhan. lol I'm not a big fan of bats swooping in front of my face either.
Hugs!
Channah
Farmgirl sister #1219
Just a small town country girl trying to live her dreams. :) |
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texdane
Farmgirl Legend Chapter Leader Chapter Guru
4658 Posts
Nicole
Sandy Hook
CT
USA
4658 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2010 : 05:37:10 AM
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Okay, growing up in Texas hill country I'm not afraid of much...but bats I am. I have the heeeby jeebies just reading about it, Siobhan! I had one stuck in my screen a few years back and they just give me the creeps. Had a run in with one as a child, left a lasting impression. EEEeeeek! You have no idea how it got in???
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2010 : 05:44:15 AM
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I love bats outside but if one ever got in the house I would freak out too. Thank goodness your hubby was there.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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clothedinscarlet
True Blue Farmgirl
1333 Posts
Siobhan
Battle Creek
MI
USA
1333 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2010 : 06:17:32 AM
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The only way I can think that it got in is through a tiny tiny crack in an attic access door in my husband's closet. The attic space there is full of blown in insulation (about 3 or 4 feet deep) and I had a friend tell me while she was removing blown in insulation, from an old house she was restoring, that it was full of hibernating bats this winter. So, I'm thinking that maybe he was in there and woke up and couldn't find his way back out through whatever vent he must have come through from the outside, so he must have squeezed himself through that little crack in the door. The crack really can't be more than a centimeter. I was all freaked out last night that another bat was going to get in LOL!
Farmgirl Sister #1110
Siobhan - AKA Liza-Jane (my farmgirl name), wife to my best friend, Trent, and mommy to Camden (11/28/05) and Bennett (7/11/07). and Truman (7/28/09) |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2010 : 09:43:49 AM
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I absolutly love bats, I have a whole bunch of fruit bats here and they are just amazing to watch. They eat over their body weight in bugs every night, they skim my ponds for water on the fly. I have had a couple get into the house over the years, I just net them, and bring them outside, and turn them loose.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Lin
True Blue Farmgirl
807 Posts
Lin
Sioux City
IA
USA
807 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2010 : 12:35:41 PM
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Bats are SSOO important to nature and they, like so many of our fine creatures, are in danger. They eat millions of mosquitoes, pollenate many of our berry trees and the list goes on!! But it is definitely alarming to have one swooping in your house, so very glad your hubby was there to help the little guy out!! (and you too, Siobhan!!! :) Hugs and Smiles, Lin
"Our beautiful earth is worth saving"!! |
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vegetarian farmer
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Jane
Freedom
pa
USA
249 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2010 : 1:28:37 PM
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We had the a similar thing happen. One got in through the smallest hole in the attic access door. My husband was walking up the stairs and it plopped down on him. He screamed like a girl. I still laugh at this manly man and a high pitched scream. We couldn't seal up the hole they were getting into the attic in, until after November. We had quite a few in the attic. Like Lin said they are in danger and if they are in your home it can mean they are raising their young in your attic.They love really warm spaces for nurseries. There are very few bats left in our area so they Summered in the attic and we sealed it up in the Fall. No bats in the house since. They do tell you if you close them out to put up a bat house because they do like to return to the same place to have young. And how could you not like an animal that eats bugs.
Jane
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
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clothedinscarlet
True Blue Farmgirl
1333 Posts
Siobhan
Battle Creek
MI
USA
1333 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2010 : 1:50:39 PM
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Trent and I were actually just looking up a tutorial on how to build our own bat house a couple weeks ago. We have a terrible mosquito problem in our back yard because we have a pond. And my middle boy is really allergic to mosquitos (if they bite him on the face, his whole face will swell up). So, I really want to encourage the bats to live here. Just not in my house LOL! Trent and I were actually laying out on our kids' trampoline the other night gazing at the stars and talking and watching the bats zoom across the yard. I think they're wonderful (as long as they don't visit my bedroom regularly :)
Farmgirl Sister #1110
Siobhan - AKA Liza-Jane (my farmgirl name), wife to my best friend, Trent, and mommy to Camden (11/28/05) and Bennett (7/11/07). and Truman (7/28/09) |
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Fiddlehead Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
4562 Posts
Diane
Waupaca
WI
USA
4562 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2010 : 03:45:26 AM
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Too funny! I used to live in a Victorian house that had some bats. I remember one night, my daughter, who was in middle school at the time, had some friends for a sleep-over. After many hours of girly giggling and what not, they finally went to sleep in my daughter's upstairs bedroom. A couple of hours later I was awakened by screaming. There was a bat in her bedroom! You should have seen five pre-teen girls and me chasing the bat around with brooms and tennis rackets. The bat just kept going up the back staircase and down the front staircase. The house was huge with 13 ft ceilings and the bat was having a hayday. After about 30 minutes of chasing and swatting, the bat finally landed on the front stairs and I was able to pick him up with a thick leather glove on and let him go outside. That was one sleep-over to remember, for the girls and the bat!
Age only matters if you are wine or cheese.
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922 |
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LakeOntarioFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
933 Posts
Brenda
North Rose
NY
USA
933 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2010 : 05:42:02 AM
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Siobhan- you remind me of myself with the hair thing. I was always convinced one would land on my head and get tangled up, lol!!
We lived in a 1860 house for 15 years. Although we hired an "expert" bat exterminator for quite a lot of money, he was not able to keep the bats out of our attic. We determined that they had lived in their ancestral home for generations and we were not going to be the ones to keep them out!
We had probably 20 or so incidents over the years with a bat swooping through our house at night. When the kids were little, hubby would be the one to let them out a window or door, then the kids got used to doing it themselves.
One time when my MIL was visiting, she kept hearing a noise on her bed. We all thought it was just the springs squeaking. Well, when she went to bed that night, she could feel something moving under the covers. I have to give her a lot of credit- she didn't panic, just wrapped the covers around it and brought it outside, and let the bat go.
Another time, hubby just could not get one bat to go outside so he had the idea of wrapping it in a towel. It bit his thumb through the towel, so we ended up spending 4 hours in the ER, then taking the bat to be tested for rabies next day, which it didn't have.
It always got me how in the winter when they were supposed to be sleeping, the heat from the wood stove going through the attic would wake them up enough, and sure enough, one would come down the stairs to torment me!
I hate to kill them though, they eat soooo many mosquitoes!
Hope you don't see another one any time soon!
Brenda
FarmGirl # 711
Nothing we achieve in this world is achieved alone. It is always achieved with others teaching us along the way. Lee J. Colan
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
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clothedinscarlet
True Blue Farmgirl
1333 Posts
Siobhan
Battle Creek
MI
USA
1333 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2010 : 06:04:53 AM
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Oh Brenda...you're scaring me now LOL! I thought this would be an isolated weird incident, but I'm pretty sure there are more living in the attic. I don't mind them there. I just don't want them coming into the house at night. My kids are so young and they would be terrified. Well, here's hoping they stay put in their warm little attic space and don't bother us. I don't think I would be so calm as your MIL, and I know for my husband it would be "On like Donkey Kong" if one of them bit any of us. The bats would have lost the battle at that point and he would be out for all bat blood.
Farmgirl Sister #1110
Siobhan - AKA Liza-Jane (my farmgirl name), wife to my best friend, Trent, and mommy to Camden (11/28/05) and Bennett (7/11/07). and Truman (7/28/09) |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2010 : 06:56:25 AM
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Bats I know have a very important job but I do think a few of them just love to give us a fright. I have many in my forest and most stay there but I have a couple who love to come and dive bomb me when I am doing chores. Then last year I had a sweet little one get in the house. I tried to get it out with harm but the silly thing just would not go - I then found myself acting like the part in "The Great Outdoor" with a couple of fly swatters and a big straw hat on chasing it around the house trying to stun it just so I could get it out. Finally after spending the whole night looking like a crazy lady running thru my house swatting at everything I managed to chase it out. For that summer he was determined to roost just outside my back door and fly at me every time I went out. He would scare visitors by sitting on the kitchen window looking in - I grew to love it and now with the Miller Moths returning I hope he find many friends to bring to the farm... In fact the other night I watched "BATS" a no so great horror movie to remind myself there is no such thing in Colorado as a flesh eating, scientifically altered and programed killing machines out there - just sweet flying creatures who want to eat my bugs...
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2010 : 08:09:07 AM
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Our bats love to fly in my face while milking my goats. lol Not very fun let me tell you.
Hugs,
Channah
Farmgirl sister #1219
Just a small town country girl trying to live her dreams. :) |
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katalind
True Blue Farmgirl
177 Posts
Kathy
Chapin
SC
USA
177 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2010 : 3:20:30 PM
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| I'm looking for a bat house to put in my yard. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2010 : 5:11:28 PM
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Channah, you must have alot of insects buzzing around your face when you are milking, cause a healthy bat will not do that unless theres lots of insects, and it also got to be dark in there, they will not fly into a lite up area.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2010 : 5:12:41 PM
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Kathy, just google bat houses and there are lots of sites with free bat house plans.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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maggie14
True Blue Farmgirl
6784 Posts
Hannah
Washington
USA
6784 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2010 : 5:17:56 PM
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lol Teresa. There is this one bat, that likes to swoop really close when I am milking and I think it knows I am afraid of it so it likes to frighten me. lol
Hugs,
Channah
Farmgirl sister #1219
Just a small town country girl trying to live her dreams. :) |
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katalind
True Blue Farmgirl
177 Posts
Kathy
Chapin
SC
USA
177 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2010 : 7:43:05 PM
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| Thanks, I'll google it. My boys would probably enjoy a project like that. |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2010 : 05:30:13 AM
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I love bats, but as far as human/bat encounters, I can do without em! Not because bats frighten me, but because rabies DOES. My mother had a bat on her back porch, her cat had 'played' with it, and they had the bat tested. It was positive for rabies (scary!).
I'm all for bat houses, bat conservation, and all of that. They definitely belong here and do an awesome job of insect eating, but I would never touch one just for the fact that, down here at least, they are known rabies carriers. And I think I'd be caulking the heck outta my attic! lol.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2010 : 6:08:37 PM
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I was thinking of adding a couple more bat houses but here is my question do they eat miller moths?? I can not believe how many of those things I have this year - I think they have started early this year... I really hate them and I was just thinking of painting my bathroom this weekend but not if they are going to be around..
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2010 : 6:26:35 PM
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Grace, as far as I know, they eat almost all flying insects
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2010 : 7:55:14 PM
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Grace, are they the Indian meal moths? If so, I have found the best solution is the pheromone traps which you can get at Lowe's. They really do work. I also use my trusty vacuum! I go around at night with a flashlight and suck 'em up! I hate those things!
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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laurentany
True Blue Farmgirl
3259 Posts
Laurie
Patchogue
NY
USA
3259 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2010 : 8:04:47 PM
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Wow- I thought that only happend in the movies ...LOL
We have 2 bats that live "Outside" and it is the coolest thing to watch them swooping all around the backyard... would definately NOT be cool in my bedroom! glad your hubby came to your rescue...
Thanks for sharing!
Smiles,
~Laurie
Farmgirl Sister#1403
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.. |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2010 : 8:13:27 PM
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Not sure what you call them - I only know that when they poop on the painted walls it leaves a stain that you can not wash off... Hence the reason I wanted to paint the bathroom - last year was terrible but this year it looks worse.
I do the vacuum thing too - my sons thought I was nuts doing that so see I can tell them I am not the only one. I also did the soap in water thing. I don't show a Lowe's but I might stop in and see what they have. I hate when your sleeping and one of those moths just go flying into your eye lid - scares the you know what out of you...
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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Barnyard Buddies: Bat! |
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Bat!
