by Sandy Linson

Created on: June 17, 2008   Last Updated: June 18, 2008

Do not go batty over bats in your home. Bats are no more eager to see you than you are to see them. Truth be told, bats are useful creatures and keep the insect population down. They can consume hundreds of insects in an hour. Without bats, there would be a huge increase in creepy-crawly pests. Regardless, of how you feel about these flying mammals (they are not rodents), you would be a rare soul to want bats roosting in your attic or even a single bat soaring overhead with its handy-dandy, built-in sonar. So, how do you get rid of these critters? First and foremost, stay calm and do not go on a murderous rampage.

Before proceeding with bat removal, you should be aware of two primary health issues. One is the possibility of a bat being a rabies carrier. This is unlikely. Carriers are estimated to be only one half of one percent of the entire bat population. The other and more likely involves bat droppings (guano). While no more dangerous than bird or cat feces, you should not inhale dust from the waste. It can make you seriously sick. Use a filtering mask over your nose and mouth when doing a cleanup. Illness or not, who wants animal poop building up around the house?

If a single bat enters your home, you can probably get it out by simply opening a window or door. The bat being as anxious to get away from you as you are to have it leave, will likely make a happy exit. If this doesn't work, arm yourself with a butterfly net and swing from behind. Another method is to wait until the bat lands and then cover it with a can or other container, slip a piece of cardboard over the opening and then release the bat into the outdoors. The bat can return to its life of disposing of pesky insects and the environmental balance will be undisturbed.

The bat is not out to get you but if frightened, grabbed and tightly squeezed, it may bite. Wouldn't you? If this happens, get immediate medical attention. Try to capture the bat (dead or alive) without damaging its head. Use leather gloves, tongs, a shovel or some other means to avoid coming in contact. Once caught, place it in a secure container and arrange for testing by your local health department.

If you have a colony of bats roosting in your attic, chimney or walls, the only way to successfully evict a colony is through exclusion. You can call an exterminator or do it yourself. Bats are able to leave and enter through openings as small as quarter of an inch in diameter. Make a list of all suspected places. A good time to

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