All Over Albany

Bats can squeeze through tiny dime-size holes, so your house has to be really tight to keep them out. If you need to remove a bat that's gotten inside, just remember that they can't take off from the ground. Bats have to fall a few inches to start flying. So come up to the bat's perch from below, scoop it up in a towel, then release it outside.

... said Chuck on Aug 9, 2011 at 10:41 AM | link

The commercials for Cat's Eye say they can take care of bats...

There was one found in a Center Square apartment a couple of years back that tested for rabies, so when one decided to fly around my living room last fall, I flipped out a little bit. However, we've noticed that we're not seeing nearly as many flying around above our garden this summer, munching away on all the skeeters. I hope they don't disappear. :(

... said Summer on Aug 9, 2011 at 11:06 AM | link

White Nose Syndrome? Is that a delicate way of saying these bats are coke heads?

... said Luke on Aug 9, 2011 at 12:05 PM | link

Accurate Pest Control, run by a friend. GREAT company, pride themselves on customer service and success. They do bat removal. They did it for my attic.

... said Skip on Aug 9, 2011 at 12:24 PM | link

@Chuck - ummm, yeah no. That ain't happenin'. My method goes more like this: "scream. hide under blanket. realize (as a single woman and the homeowner/landlord) I have to save myself. cry. run to open a window. dive to floor. more screaming and crying. army-crawl to apartment door. sit in stairway and eventually convince myself to see if it's gone. never sleep again." There's no effin' way I'm getting close enough to scoop it up in a towel. You are hilARious.

It always happens this time of year. Some years I've had none, some years I've had several. I'm growing more concerned I have a colony living in the attic and one occasionally gets lost and winds up in MY apartment. But there's no way I'm taking a peek. I already have PTSD. No joke.

... said Kim M. on Aug 9, 2011 at 12:35 PM | link

If you like happy cats I'll let you borrow my momma cat for a week. My old apartment used to have a lot of bats that would get in. When I got this particular cat from MHRHS she immediately went on a ninja bat killing spree and the apt has been bat free ever since. This is provided you don't mind the occasional broken tchotchkies (they got in the way of exhuberant leaps), little carcasses (she leaves them as a present... or a threat. Same thing in CatWorld.) and waking up to a different kind of furry creature staring you in the face.

Our new house in Troy doesn't have that problem so she's been put out of a job; the occasional window fly will come along but I get the feeling she thinks her talents are being wasted.

... said Casey on Aug 9, 2011 at 1:12 PM | link

I read in an article in the Chronicle a week ago that 99% of the Little Brown Bats have perished from white nose syndrome. They are starving to death by the tend of thousands all winter. Why would you try to eliminate even more of them?! Hopefully you find a humane bat catcher.

... said lealorali on Aug 9, 2011 at 2:03 PM | link

We also have used Accurate Pest Control- they are very nice and did a great job.

... said M on Aug 9, 2011 at 2:27 PM | link

You should only let the bat go if you are sure you or someone else I. your household was't bitten. If you were asleep in the room when the bat was in it, you don't know if you've been bitten. Call the county department and they can have it tested for rabies, if it's not rabid, you don't need shots. My five year old just finished a round of rabies shots because I didn't know I should keep it.

Apparently summer is the season for bats. When it's hot, they try to get deeper in the house to get cool.

White nose syndrome does sound like the bats have a drug habit, but it's a fungus that kills bats by the thousands.

White nose sy

... said Biodiva on Aug 9, 2011 at 2:36 PM | link

We had them at our house on Lark, saw a couple flying around at night as well as woke up to one twice. Catch them and bring them down to the County Health Department off South Pearl, otherwise you should get rabies shots (we did), if you are asleep in a room with them.

We used United Bat Control, http://www.batproofny.com/. Chris runs the show, is very knowledgeable and efficient. He finds the likely places of entry and places one way doors on those locations. Any other possible entries are sealed up. 5-7 days later, he returns and removes the one way doors as well. This forces the bats to leave on their own with no return ticket, keeping them from dying in your house. A three year warranty on the work was part of the contract, including removal of any bats that make it in during that time. He had the best price and gave a free estimate as well. Don't use Cat's Eye, they are a crazy rip off and don't have the knowledge for bat removal, that is a completely different line of work than other pest removal and they shouldn't be in it.

Lastly, bats can take off from the ground, I saw it after my cat smoked one onto the kitchen floor. Don't use a tool to capture them. Wear gloves if they are in a spot where you can get to them and use a bowl with a piece of paper or similar system. Place the container over them and then gently slide the paper underneath to trap them inside.

Bring them in for testing, dead or alive, it will save you lots of stress. Rabies is 100% fatal once you show signs (10 days to 2 years) but if you are vaccinated before then it is a non issue. I had 7 shots over a period of two weeks, the first round was 4 at once. Getting our bats tested would have prevented that.

... said Ben on Aug 10, 2011 at 5:55 AM | link

Rabies can incubate for two years?? Crazy...

Fortunately the bat that got into my house didn't touch me...it just flew around and I ran away. It disappeared on its own, I'm thinking the chimney.

... said Summer on Aug 10, 2011 at 9:51 AM | link

I grew up with a colony of bats in our attic (very old house with holes) and now live with a similar situation. A bat coming down into the house from the attic happens about once a year in the summer (that is, rarely). I've been told it's usually young ones which haven't quite figured out the exit near the attic space so they move downward in the house to find an alternative exit. We close doors to isolate the bat to a room, then open a door or window to the outside. Once the bat is able to figure out where the opening is (takes anywhere from 5-30 minutes), it flies out on it's own. This helps us to avoid contact with the bat and allows bat to get outside to catch more mosquitoes. People who freak out and try to kill or catch a bat in flight are putting themselves at risk of an accidental contact with the bat

... said Used to bats on Aug 10, 2011 at 10:30 AM | link

Yeah, We've had some problems with bats. We filmed the whole removal process:

http://youtu.be/rKHMev-XXxc

http://youtu.be/FtTn2d2ubWw

... said David on Aug 10, 2011 at 11:05 AM | link

Just called united bat control based on the above comment... Chris showed up within twenty five minutes of my call and got rid of the bat within five minutes. Super nice guy, reasonable rates and no waiting. I hope I never have a bat again, but if I do I will call Chris immediately.

... said Joe on Jan 17, 2012 at 9:40 PM | link

I have a bat in the house right now - I ran out of the room and shut the door. It's just a year since Chris removed one. I have a call in to him, but I had to leave a message. It's midnight now, and I don't know whether to go to bed or not!

... said Valerie Perrins on Aug 4, 2014 at 12:03 AM | link

I had a bat flying around in my bedroom. I called Meerkat, the guy came out and found more in the attic. They did a really good job. Nice People.

... said Nicole Brendon on Aug 1, 2016 at 2:44 PM | link