by M.J. Holliday

Created on: June 13, 2008

You might see bats dipping and twirling at twilight, hunting down pesky mosquitoes! A little brown bat eats about four pounds of insects a year.

If you have bats in your home, they're probably brown or little brown bats. There are forty-six bat species in North America, and bats make up a quarter of the world mammal population. They roost in trees and caves, but some, like brown bats, don't mind humans.

Bats in the attic or eaves are usually colonies of nursing females with young. Mother keeps her baby "under her wing", until it's old enough to fend for itself. She makes a protective pouch by curling her feet and tailbone.

Bats can squirm through openings of less than an inch. Attics, roofs or siding make ideal living quarters.

HEALTH CONCERNS

Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease, most common in eastern and central United States. Mold can grow on bat guano or bird droppings. If someone disturbs the excrement, the mold releases spores, which can cause lung infection.

Histoplasma capsulatum, the fungus that causes histoplasmosis, is also common in pigeon and other bird droppings.

Rabies is another bat-related fear. Bats are usually healthy and rarely carry rabies. The disease affects half a percent (0.5%) of the world bat population. If a bat has rabies, it weakens and can't fly. Unlike other rabid animals, sick bats aren't aggressive.

REMOVING A BAT

If a bat shows up in the kitchen or another room, be calm. Close doors to the rest of the house, open the windows, and herd the bat toward a window.

It's not necessary to turn out the light. Bats can see. They navigate by sensing air currents, and by echolocation (using echoes to locate objects around them).

If the bat swoops toward you, remember it's disoriented and confused. It's not trying to attack. Bats are shy. They have tiny teeth and will bite if threatened, but won't attack humans. Often the bat will find its own way out, if left alone.

If the bat lands on a surface, you can pick it up. Wear gloves. Handle the animal gently, holding the wings close to the body, and take it outside. Alternately, place a bowl or container over the bat, and slide a thin piece of cardboard or plastic underneath, trapping the bat in the container. Release the bat outside.

If you suspect the animal is sick, use a container with a sealable lid, and punch holes in the lid. Take the bat to an animal control office.

REMOVING RESIDENT BATS

Never poison or trap bats. Poison will kill some of the bats, but not all, and you'll have a dead bat problem.

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