Community Corner
Homeowner Deals with a Bat Colony
Preventing bats from entering your home and what to do when the mammals fly in.
A Monroe Turnpike man keeps finding bats in the basement of his home and an animal control officer who visited his house on Aug. 1 could not find where the bats are flying in. Then around noon on Aug. 4, he reported finding a sick or injured bat in his driveway.
Monroe Animal Control Officer Ed Risko said the cause of the "big Brown" bat's death is unknown.
In both cases, the homeowner was referred to a nuisance wildlife control operator to install a chimney cap on the fireplace later in the fall to prevent the animals from returning next year.
Noises in the Attic
According to the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, the presence of bats can be detected in several ways, including:
- Seeing them flying out of the eaves, vents or from behind shutters or siding during feeding time at dusk.
- Noise in the attic.
- Bat droppings (guano), which are easily crushed, leaving shiny bits of undigested insects. They are never white in appearance and chalky like bird droppings.
The DEEP says the two most common bats involved in nuisance complaints are big brown bats and little brown bats.
Repellents & Removal
Chemical repellants listed by the DEEP are mothballs and aerosol dog and cat repellents. However, the agency warns that using mothballs in a high quantity may be harmful to humans because of the napthalene.
The DEEP also says not to spray the repellents in a roosting spot when bats are present , because it could harm the animals and cause them to panic and fly at the "attacker" to get away.
Affixing screens against attic vents are another way to prevent bats from coming in.
A Bat in the House
When a single bat enters a home, the DEEP says it can be removed easily.
Closing off doorways to a room — containing the bat — and opening a window will usually prompt the bat to fly outside.
The DEEP also suggests using a large jar to capture a bat. Approach it slowly so it won't be startled, gently place the jar over it and slide stiff paper or cardboard under the jar's opening.
Wear heavy leather gloves to protect your hands from a bite. If you are bitten, make sure the bat is saved for examination, immediately wash the wound with soap and water and seek proper medical advice, according to the DEEP.
Rabies can be transmitted through saliva or a bite.
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