Bats In My Belfry

I thought it was mice.

For years I have tried to trap, poison or frighten away the mice that poop on my deck. Every summer morning, I get five or six turds in one corner.

Last night, I set another trap. The red discoloration is cayenne pepper I tried last week. Did nothing except make me sneeze when I cleaned it up.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mis...IMG_1578-M.jpg

This morning...

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mis...IMG_1579-M.jpg

Not a nibble.

We have bats in the park across the street. I can see them at twilight when I walk the dog. Then I finally looked up...

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mis...IMG_1581-M.jpg

Yup. Poop on the wall. That corner is about 12 feet high so I have rarely looked up there. The little holes are 3/4 wide and about 1/4 deep.

Is that too small for a bat to enter? I think they about the size of mice so one may fit. I am going to plug all the holes eventually, although only one looks like it goes through. I don't want to seal them in. Scare them off first, I don't need dead stinky rodents in my ceiling.

What can I use as a repellent to keep them away? I know nothing about bats but am about to learn.

Put a bat house on an outside wall away from the porch and maybe they will move in. We have a LOT of bats at our house. Neighbor has 4 bat houses and tons of them live at the lake nearby. Summer at dusk they swoop all over eating bugs. They go right over our heads. Kind of creepy, but also pretty interesting too. They munch hundreds of bugs, which is nice. Keeps the moths and skeeters from pestering us too much.

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Originally Posted by colorider

Put a bat house on an outside wall away from the porch and maybe they will move in.

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South wall so the sun never shines on it. The house needs to stay [relatively] cool.

O2

That hole is large enough for a couple of bats. I don't know about getting them to move. A sheltered hole about twelve feet up sounds like a bat's dream home. Considering the amount of bugs those guys eat, I'd welcome them. If you really want them gone, you might try putting up a bat house then go out after dark and plug the hole.

I've heard that some peppermint oil in a fog machine in the attic will make everything leave. Run for a bit, seal up everything, and enjoy the smell of candy canes for the next 2 weeks

In addition to the bats at my house, we have a resident owl that keeps the rodents in check. He hunts from our chimney and poops his pellets on the driveway. Oh, and a fox has a daily snack of rabbits off our front porch. It’s pretty dang cool living where I do because of the wildlife that hangs around here and Standley Lake. Lots of hawks too.

Bat Magic at Home Depot.

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Originally Posted by 00tec

I've heard that some peppermint oil in a fog machine in the attic will make everything leave. Run for a bit, seal up everything, and enjoy the smell of candy canes for the next 2 weeks

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Attachment 90799

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Originally Posted by colorider

In addition to the bats at my house, we have a resident owl that keeps the rodents in check. He hunts from our chimney and poops his pellets on the driveway. Oh, and a fox has a daily snack of rabbits off our front porch. It’s pretty dang cool living where I do because of the wildlife that hangs around here and Standley Lake. Lots of hawks too.

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That is really cool. All I have around here is an occasional Cottontail or deer. Once there was a turkey out front but it's usually really quiet.

can you put some sort of flap over the holes that would allow them to squeeze their way out and exit but not get back in? But yeah, those holes are plenty big for bats.

I am in a condo so I can't mount anything outside. The old bats on the HOA board would go bananas if they knew I was installing a house for their brethren.

The holes lead into a vaulted ceiling so there is no attic. I only see the poop in the one area so I don't think there are too many in there.

If they are in there at all. I am not sure if my porch is a rest stop or a home. I am going to assume it is a home and proceed from there.

Here is the plan.

Clean everything well today and install a 100 watt bulb in the porch light. Leave it on at night.

If they come back despite the light, before I go to bed I will hang strips of towel soaked in ammonia near the hole. Once I am poop free for a couple days, I'll fill the holes with spray foam.

That should give them ample warning that doomsday is coming.

I have no animosity towards them. I love having them swoop and dart about as I am walking the dog, knowing they are eating pesky mosquitoes.

However, being in the home inspection and air quality testing business, I know that their feces can have some bad pathogens in there. I try to avoid situations where I could contract histoplasmosis.

But mostly I'm tired of cleaning shit off of my porch.

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Originally Posted by def90

can you put some sort of flap over the holes that would allow them to squeeze their way out and exit but not get back in? But yeah, those holes are plenty big for bats.

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I have thought of that as well.

The problem is that there are many holes. I would need to make a lot of little flaps. I was thinking of possibly taping cardboard up there so they can only come out and not get back in but I don't know if they would chew their way through.

Or I could make one and fill the rest with spray foam, hoping that they all lead to one chamber. I still haven't done anything except install a 100w bulb.

Who knows? That may be enough to keep them from coming back.

Fertilizer shortage will make your bat shit worth more. Less bugs and free bat shit. Figure out a easy recovery method.

Eyeball the other condos with the same floorplate as yours, see what their ceilings look like. If anyone looks to have sealed theirs, they might have insight into how big the voids are.
Those flexneck cams are getting cheaper all the time.

If the house was constructed in the way it should be the ceiling lid would go up first, then the siding then the trim. Those voids should not go in to the attic or anywhere else. That said it doesn't mean that a bat wouldn't use that 3 inch space to habitate, they love those little nooks and crannys. I'm guessing that if you shoved a stick up in to any of those openings it would stop where it meets the ceiling.

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Originally Posted by O2HeN2

South wall so the sun never shines on it. The house needs to stay [relatively] cool.

O2

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Umm, North wall. As in like moss grows on the North side of a tree predominately.

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Originally Posted by eddiememphis

I have thought of that as well.

The problem is that there are many holes. I would need to make a lot of little flaps. I was thinking of possibly taping cardboard up there so they can only come out and not get back in but I don't know if they would chew their way through.

Or I could make one and fill the rest with spray foam, hoping that they all lead to one chamber. I still haven't done anything except install a 100w bulb.

Who knows? That may be enough to keep them from coming back.

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Which is why the bats are there. That bulb is a magnet for insects, insects attract bats. Who stay in the light, gray area, chowing down. Outside the bat shit, they're nice to have around.

As for it being a vaulted ceiling. I'd wager a tank of gas. Those bats are along the entire vaulted ceiling, or just inside that top molding strip. They're winged mice. If there's an opportunity to get in somewhere, they will. The church next door from us in CO was a major bat haven. The wife counted approx 300, before she got tired of clicking the counter. That was from one entry / exit point. They'd come out at night like fighter squadrons.


The down side of bats is the mess and potential to get tangled, or caught by a dog / cat. or your hair.

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Originally Posted by SideShow Bob

Umm, North wall.

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Crap. Next time I'll attach my fingers to my brain before typing, thanks!

O2

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Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo

Which is why the bats are there. That bulb is a magnet for insects, insects attract bats. Who stay in the light, gray area, chowing down. Outside the bat shit, they're nice to have around.

As for it being a vaulted ceiling. I'd wager a tank of gas. Those bats are along the entire vaulted ceiling, or just inside that top molding strip. They're winged mice. If there's an opportunity to get in somewhere, they will. The church next door from us in CO was a major bat haven. The wife counted approx 300, before she got tired of clicking the counter. That was from one entry / exit point. They'd come out at night like fighter squadrons.


The down side of bats is the mess and potential to get tangled, or caught by a dog / cat. or your hair.

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Tonight will be the first time the light comes on. The bats have been soiling my deck for a couple of years.

If I was smarter, I'd take you up on your bet. I only see a couple of turds in one spot. If there was an entire colony in either my ceiling or the cover of the deck, I would think there would be much more evidence of occupation. Reading and watching videos shows they are filthy and leave smudges from body oils and dirt as they crawl through the entrances to their diabolical lairs.

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Originally Posted by eddiememphis

Tonight will be the first time the light comes on. The bats have been soiling my deck for a couple of years.

If I was smarter, I'd take you up on your bet. I only see a couple of turds in one spot. If there was an entire colony in either my ceiling or the cover of the deck, I would think there would be much more evidence of occupation. Reading and watching videos shows they are filthy and leave smudges from body oils and dirt as they crawl through the entrances to their diabolical lairs.

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You'd be surprised how many can fit in those small openings. IF they've been there for years, there's more than a few. Outside the shit, they leave, they're great for insect control.

Pop open the vaulted ceiling and I bet you’ll find infinitely more turds. The ones they’re leaving as they’re coming and going are nothing compared to what they do while hanging up for the day. Oh, and chances are good that you have dozens in there…

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mis...IMG_1602-M.jpg

And there he is.

Looked out at 7:30. Two new turds. Looked up. Hello lil fella.

Shot some water at him and he flew off. Sprayed ammonia up there and didn't see anything stirring in the holes.

I'll hang something up there tonight where he was sleeping to keep him away from that spot.

The light obviously wasn't a deterrent. I am thinking it's less likely they are in the structure. Yesterday, I cleaned the spot he was hanging. It had a dirty smudge and possibly a urine trail. Maybe he just liked that one corner.

In which case, I'll take you up on the bet, Kazoo.

This is my daily driver.

Attachment 90805

It's name is Chopi Chopi. It holds 300,000 liters of fuel. That's 79k gallons. I'll meet you at the gas station of your choice.

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Originally Posted by eddiememphis

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mis...IMG_1602-M.jpg

And there he is.

Looked out at 7:30. Two new turds. Looked up. Hello lil fella.

Shot some water at him and he flew off. Sprayed ammonia up there and didn't see anything stirring in the holes.

I'll hang something up there tonight where he was sleeping to keep him away from that spot.

The light obviously wasn't a deterrent. I am thinking it's less likely they are in the structure. Yesterday, I cleaned the spot he was hanging. It had a dirty smudge and possibly a urine trail. Maybe he just liked that one corner.

In which case, I'll take you up on the bet, Kazoo.

This is my daily driver.

Attachment 90805

It's name is Chopi Chopi. It holds 300,000 liters of fuel. That's 79k gallons. I'll meet you at the gas station of your choice.

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No problem, You need to bring it to my local station i have $0.40 off atm.

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Originally Posted by Great-Kazoo

No problem, You need to bring it to my local station i have $0.40 off atm.

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Awesome! I just need to borrow a truck rated to tow 2.5 million pounds.

I don't think my '95 Tacoma 2wd is up to the task.

Hang a picture of Fauci in that spot. Bats don?t like that guy.

When you come down with West Nile from a mosquito bite don't come blaming us.

UPDATE

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mis...IMG_1608-M.jpg

Hung some window screen with the bottom loosely taped in case some others needed to get out. The tape is still intact indicating either no bats were roosting in the ceiling or they are getting out elsewhere.

I hung a CD as an additional deterrent. Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo. Git 'em, Ted!

Regardless, no poop on my porch in almost a week. I think he just liked that corner and I have never had reason to look up there in the morning.

Should have nailed a rat trap up there and set it.

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Originally Posted by SideShow Bob

Should have nailed a rat trap up there and set it.

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If I wanted to go that route, I'd buy Demodave's Stoeger coach gun. Stuff a couple of tungsten #9's in there and turn the lil fella into red mist.