Bats in Roofspace, how to Remove?

[Robroona]

Since I moved to this house, I have known there were bats in the Roofspace. Apart from cleaning up droppings on a daily basis, I haven't given them much thought. However, last night, a visitor was freaked out by them while sitting on the porch. I wonder if it possible to move them, humanely?

Does anyone have any ideas about this such as a company who does this kind of work?

Thanks in advance

[krisb]

I would find a professional, probably cheap enough. Those bats can have rabies from what I've heard.

Then once removed, block the holes.

http://www.rentokil.co.th/

[Goshawk]

Bats and rabies in Thailand . . . ultra rare ! Don't be swayed by that rumour.

But of course if the noise & stench of them irritate you . . . simply locate & block their day roost entry holes. They'll go elsewhere . . .

[LennyW]

I saw dried bat shit on sale at Hardware house yesterday, 24 baht for 100 grammes!!!

Edited August 24, 2014 by LennyW

[Allyt]

Rolls of chicken fencing in the eves, placed from inside, therefore no flyable gaps. The bats struggle out and don't want to fly back in.

[Suradit69]

When I was living in Africa I had loads of bats and rats resident in the space between ceiling and roof. Nothing we did seemed to deter them or keep them out. Then late one night the house was literally enveloped with those large ants with the impressive mandibles and no discernible sense of humor. The dogs took off for parts unknown and the bats and rats were dispatched with impressive efficiency. Problem solved. The next day the ants were gone, the dogs slunk back and in the garden there were a few tiny skeletons with fluffy bits of fur clinging to them.

I realize this doesn't offer you much in the way of practical solutions, but it was an event that I'll never forget and your mention of rats in the roof revived the vivid memory for me.

[Nuddy]

I have bats in the eaves despite having two layers of bird plastic. They get in under the overlapping edging roof tiles. Some nights they get lost in the ceiling and fly about hitting the ceiling ties/stringers.

I purchased two different types of electronic noise makers supposedly in the bats sounding frequency. As well I am using silicon to block and seal the edge of the bird boards which they push through. The silicon sets the bird boards (plastic) and stops them. Unfortunately this job will take many more months and tubes of silicon to complete. I'll still need to go onto the steep tile roof and back fill those edging lapping roof tiles. The electronics work for awhile so I move them about but the bats continue sometimes moving away from these electronic noise makers. I tried hanging that very small gapped netting over the edge of the eaves but they seemed to foil that and go under it or around it. The only way I think will eventually fix it is when I fill every hole, gap, entry place full of silicon. I continue to run the electronic noise makers and have netting in certain parts. I think I have less bats than before but they are still here. In one place they fly up the roof drain vee and then slide under the tile. Op if you want to PM me I will be happy to discuss this matter with you. Regards.

[Allyt]

And i have no bats for 9 years.

[MyTHaiMyKe]

[xen]

Try motion sensing Lights mounted in the roofspace. The will not like the light and everytime they move there will be light. They will soon move to a more peaceful location . Works for possums and rats too especially if you have a few high wattage bulbs and the light fills every nook and cranny.

Does not have to be permanent so you can take them when you move or use them outside your house for security after the bats have moved on.

[lucjoker]

I saw dried bat shit on sale at Hardware house yesterday, 24 baht for 100 grammes!!!

Dry bat shit.jpg

this message will cause a lot of cheap -charlies to fall through their roofs !

Rawang !

[properperson]

Have you tried "Astro" ?? he managed to get rid of a load of "Rats in the Kitchen", no problem.

[lucjoker]

Change your roof into a flat roof .Much cooler ,no animals and shit ,and you can make it a fine terras in the evenings .

[Sheryl]

I had this too and struggled for 2 years before l finally got them out. What worked was a combination of (1) closing off the space under the roof tiles with wire mesh, as another poster suggested (you will have to maintain it and periodically replace it) and (2) installing 24 hour fluorescent lighting in the space between roof and ceiling. I use yellow lights so as not to attract bugs.

forget about trying to just tolerate them...the guano stench will get worse and worse and the guano will eat through your ceilings. Speaking from experience....

[monkey4u]

Try asking Old Bat / Mother in law to move somewhere else

[Robroona]

I had this too and struggled for 2 years before l finally got them out. What worked was a combination of (1) closing off the space under the roof tiles with wire mesh, as another poster suggested (you will have to maintain it and periodically replace it) and (2) installing 24 hour fluorescent lighting in the space between roof and ceiling. I use yellow lights so as not to attract bugs.

forget about trying to just tolerate them...the guano stench will get worse and worse and the guano will eat through your ceilings. Speaking from experience....

A few posters have referred to smell, but we don't have any untoward smells as yet. Been in this house 18 months, little pile of droppings was no big deal. We sometimes saw them, but they didn't bother us. Maybe they are getting braver as they freaked out one of our guests last night.

[KhnomKhnom]

If you are symbolically referring to many of the sour negative old codger commenters here, I do not think they can be removed. Likely they are pickled in alcohol and have already out lived their mental sell-by date.

Oh, for real bats, you must seal up the roofspace totally because bats go out at night to feed. Seal up a couple hours after darkness and they cant get back in. Sadly, the ones who die up there will really stink for a while.

[ableguy]

Call batman or robin.

[ableguy]

Change your roof into a flat roof .Much cooler ,no animals and shit ,and you can make it a fine terras in the evenings .

Terra's ?

[SunsetT]

I rented a house one Winter with bats in the loft above our bedroom. Very little noise and no smell, and I sealed the ceiling wall gap with mastic where there was some staining from their ablutions. There was a half ceiling tile missing in the upstairs bathroom, and occasionally a bat would enter and fly around the house. But there was a big bonus which I concluded was from their presence. Despite no flyscreens we had hardly any mosquitoes in the house. Apart from the witching mosquito hour after sunset when we closed all windows and doors as u do, we could later leave windows and doors open at night. I used to sit on the porch outside of the open french doors without any need of a coil with the family watching TV inside with no bother at all from mosquitoes. We soon moved as it was too noisy....a nearby business fitting speakers in pickups etc. making the windows vibrate!

I wish I could rent somewhere else with bats in the loft.

[jacko45k]

Bats, aren't they associated with a bowler?

Bad in West Africa.I hear.

[pattayaorganic]

Bats can actually be very beneficial addition to your local eco-system. They eat tons of mosquitos and provide that service for you for free.

I suggest a two pronged approach to receive benefits from bats while ameliorating the guano (poo) problem:

1) ultrasonic bat device such as this:

http://www.pestcontroldeluxe.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=pestcontroldeluxe&Screen=PROD&Category_Code=Bat_Control_Deluxe&Product_Code=Bat_Control_Deluxe_Indoor

This will keep them out of our attic.

2) Build a bat house.

This is a bat-friendly place for your bats to brood and live so they will continue to eat your mosquitos and many other bugs while not filling your house with foul smelling guano.

https://shopping.yahoo.com/search;_ylc=X3oDMTQ3aXFwZHI5BF9TAzc4NDczMTQ5NwRrA2JhdCtob3VzZXMEc2VtX2FjdAMyODkyNjY1BHNlbV9hZGcDMTc3NzAwNTAyMwRzZW1fY21wAzEzMTUxMTk5OQRzZW1fZGF0AwRzZW1fa3dpZAMzODUzOTk5ODExMgRzZW1fcHRucgNCaW5nBHNlbV92ZHIDYWtxYQ--?p=bat+houses&sem=bing&adid=4257936276&device=c

There are plenty of plans on the internet how to build bat houses as well.

With the combination of the two you should be able to encourage them to live in the bat house instead of yours.

[freedom4life]

I'd leave them there, so what. Good to get freaked-out now and then.

[marstons]

difficult to do humanly because there will probably pups in their that need 5 weeks nursing and will probably starve to death and rot in your roof space if you block off access and stink for weeks.

[DD13]

No Point in getting the "Indians" in, coz at the moment they are no good with a bat...................English joke

[surangw]

hang some fabric softener sheets in the area, the don't like the smell

[pest]

Put 2 or 3 bowls of neat Haiter/bleach in the roof space