Any ideas of how to remove Bats without harming them?

[Lbrad7]

I have quite a few Bats living in my barn. I see them hanging from the rafters during the day and I have to admit I find them facinating. That being said...when my birds move back into their coop for the night, I have to walk through the barn to close the door to the coop. I cannot tell you what it is like walking throgh that gauntlet of fluttering winged rodents!!!!

They are thick as fleas and it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it. They are not as "facinating" when they are buzzing you just inches from your face!!!! I'm not scared of them and I don't scream like a little girl as I cover my head and run though the barn at break-neck speed but I have to admit that they totally creep me out!

I am aware of the diseases that they carry but I think that they do too much good in insect erradication and should not be killed. Does anyone have any ideas of how to get them to move to my neighbors barns or porches without harming them? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Do you happen to know what species they are? Do you know if they are overwintering in the barn? I wonder if they might migrate south this fall and then you could seal up the barn then. It seems that no matter what, you'll have to bat-proof the barn. The tough question is when? Is is possible to change the location of the door of the coop so that you don't have to walk through the barn?

 

[Lbrad7]

I have no idea of the species but they are about the size of a walnut or large pecan when they are roosting and have their wings folded. When they take flight I am guessing they have about a 5" wingspan. I have not seen bats here in the dead of winter but they do come in very early spring and stay through late fall. They could hibernate and remain in the area but I have never seen them flying about.

I would have to do some pretty major modifications to my barn to move a door to the outside and I would only do that as a last resort since I have a very secure door on the inside. I am not throwing that idea out but would hate do go to that trouble if I can shoo them over to my neighbors house, barn, shed or porch.

I am considering building Bat houses but I have never heard if they actually move into them or not. I have never known anyone who put them up so I don't know what the success rate of using them is. I had rather go that route than hurt them. I may check into a bee keepers suite to wear in the evenings. They seem to be pretty inpenetrable.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I wonder if you have Mexican Freetail bats. They are pretty common in the southeast. We banded them in Louisiana and drew their outlines on the wall. They migrate to Mexico in the fall and when they came back in the spring, they returned to the exact location they were the previous year. They really become attached to their home site so blocking them out seems the only way without killing them, which I wouldn't recommend. If they leave this fall, that would be the time to seal the barn. They will use bat houses, but you couldn't build one better than your barn.

 

[redhen]

OOh..please dont kill them! I'm begging my bats to come back to our yard... (neighbors ran them off..JERKS!!)
No luck so far though... and the mosquitoes(sp?) are killing us! Cant even go outside at dusk now ...

 

[patman75]

I'll take them. Bats have just the same chances of carring dieases as any other animal.

I wish the bats would use the home I put up for them.

 

[LeezyBeezy]

Same thing happend to me- usually I got out when it's almost dark and just walk through the barn. One night it was a little too dark, and I took a flashlight, only to see the bat wing by my head. I'm wondering if it's really even possible to get rid of them, they can fit through tiny openings? I would say, just get used to it. I leave my barn door open on one end, and it' about 25 feet high, so they haev plenty of room to exit over my head if need be. Then I go and shut the other end, and then the door I just mentioned. I would never want to get rid of bats, they do such a great job of insect control. I would guess, as cold as it gets here, that ours probably migrate. I'll have to to look into it.

 

[Boyd]

if you want them gone make it unpleasant... Use a fogger in the daytime (or bug bomb) and firecrackers. After a couple days of totally disrupted sleep they may find other accommodating digs somewhere else.

 

[aprophet]

because of histoplasmosis you really should use a professional pest removal service there is a cleanup that needs to occur with their removal. it is a very nasty disease kina a cross between the flu and TB . the service will follow guidelines set forth by authorities to see that no one gets sick much like removing asbestos . here is a little info from cdc

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/histoplasmosis/

 

[Lbrad7]

Quote:
There is no way I would ever kill them. Like you said, if they were to totally leave, the mosquitos would take over. I just wish they would move out of the barn or at least leave the barn at dark. The opening is 9' x 18' x 40' and even when I open both doors they won't leave. They just flutter around from end to end, back and forth. I know they are feeding on something but I have never noticed any mosquitos or any other flying insects inside the barn. (doesn't mean they aren't there) They may leave later in the evening but they sure do love to hang out until I have to walk through to close up the coop. I am starting to think that they actually wait on me just to get a laugh ever evening before they head out to my fields to go to work.

As for the other post of using bug bombs or firecrackers; I don't feel comfortable using those methods so close to my birds. I'm also afraid the bug bombs could harm my furry winged friends.