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Post by chrissyc72 on Mar 14, 2024 2:59:08 GMT
So my daughter and her fiancé purchased their dream home on Thursday. It’s a log cabin that was in foreclosure for years and empty but in September a flipper purchased it and did a great job with it. They got all moved in Thursday and when they went to go to bed they saw a bat in the house! They locked it in a room and since it was late at night they would call a bat company in the morning. They get in bed and hear scratching in the wall and turn on the light and another big bat is dive bombing them!!! They go running out of the bedroom and there is another one!!! 3 bats on their first night home. They leave in a panic and come back to my house which thankfully is only 13 minutes away. Next day a bat guy comes and finds 2 bats and not the third. Friday night they see eye staring at them and they call the guy and he comes back for third bat. Nothing sat, sun or mon but then last night there’s 2 more coming at them!!!! So they had to leave again!!!!! Over the weekend they had a professional bat company comes that seals all the openings that they see and insert these cones that allow the bats to go out but not back in. You have a warranty for a year so if they come back they come back out to see what they might of missed. They suggest they don’t stay at the house for the next few weeks. Ok back with me they go. It’s being done tomorrow but has anyone had this happen and had success with sealing and the cones? They just spent a fortune on closing costs and now this is draining the little bit of what they have left!!! And yesterday my daughter saw a mouse so they sat traps and caught 6 mice!!!! Again, the house was empty for years then the flipper was there working from September to January but I would of never expected all this to happen!!!!
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 14, 2024 3:09:20 GMT
Find a place to put a bat house, or two, a moderate distance from the house.
The flipper doing the work may have closed their regular exits.
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Post by finsup on Mar 14, 2024 3:14:30 GMT
Yes we had it done and haven’t had an issue with bats since. We had to wait awhile to get it done because they are legally protected in my state and you can’t do any mitigation during maternity seasons. We weren’t told we had to leave our house for any amount of time. I’m pretty sure they just kept moving down my street every time they got evicted😆 Two houses down had their house sealed and we ended up having to do the same not long afterward. Then after we did it the next door neighbors on the other side had to do it and so on…
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Post by 950nancy on Mar 14, 2024 3:25:23 GMT
My old coworker had five baby bats fall down her chimney. She was terrified of the way the crawled around and called me. I got them out of her house and put them outside where they'd be safe for a while. I then learned you shouldn't touch baby bats. You should let a professional handle that.
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TankTop
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Post by TankTop on Mar 14, 2024 4:34:37 GMT
I would highly suggest they find a travel vaccination clinic and get a rabies shot.
Ask me how I know it is worth it?
Signed,
The woman who also lives in a log cabin and was bit by a bat in her sleep.
(Much less painful to get a vaccine than to go through a rabies vaccination series)
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caangel
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Post by caangel on Mar 14, 2024 4:40:58 GMT
I would highly suggest they find a travel vaccination clinic and get a rabies shot. Ask me how I know it is worth it? Signed, The woman who also lives in a log cabin and was bit by a bat in her sleep. (Much less painful to get a vaccine than to go through a rabies vaccination series) I have zero experience with bats but that's what I've heard, too. They say due to their super sharp teeth you can be bitten and not even know. Worth a Google to see what is recommended in your area. |
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Post by calgaryscrapper on Mar 14, 2024 4:57:10 GMT
Look up tin cat mouse trap. Cut holes in a small medicine bottle then fill with peanut butter and put the lid on and into the trap. If you wish you can release them far far away from home. Check the dryer vent to be sure they are not coming in through there. Maybe the bats are coming in through the fireplace or logs.
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Post by chrissyc72 on Mar 14, 2024 9:47:14 GMT
Yes we had it done and haven’t had an issue with bats since. We had to wait awhile to get it done because they are legally protected in my state and you can’t do any mitigation during maternity seasons. We weren’t told we had to leave our house for any amount of time. I’m pretty sure they just kept moving down my street every time they got evicted😆 Two houses down had their house sealed and we ended up having to do the same not long afterward. Then after we did it the next door neighbors on the other side had to do it and so on… I’m so glad to hear that!!!! They told them they had to wait till April to do it as they are hibernating now but since they were flying around the house and dive bombing them he said this is an emergency so we have to do it now! They had to leave since the bats were going after them. 😬 |
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Post by chrissyc72 on Mar 14, 2024 9:48:34 GMT
My old coworker had five baby bats fall down her chimney. She was terrified of the way the crawled around and called me. I got them out of her house and put them outside where they'd be safe for a while. I then learned you shouldn't touch baby bats. You should let a professional handle that. Yes they had a professional come out since they did know they couldn’t touch them! He was great and got them all. |
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Post by chrissyc72 on Mar 14, 2024 9:50:09 GMT
Find a place to put a bat house, or two, a moderate distance from the house. The flipper doing the work may have closed their regular exits. Someone did suggest a bat house. The funny thing is there is a huge attic with no access at all and he didn’t do anything structurally to the house. Log cabins have so many crevices!! And apparently bats love log cabins!!! Never knew that! |
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Post by mommaho on Mar 14, 2024 9:50:40 GMT
I can sympathize with your daughter and finance! We have had a bat or two in our old house (1863) and putting bat houses out in the yard helped some after we had all the spots sealed and the roof replaced. Let's just say there was a lot of adrenaline when we had them - and of course I was home along with our girls at the time and had to figure out how to get them out! Sad to say one did not survive because while I tried to nudge him/her into a fishing net with a tennis racket the darn thing started eking at me and well, you can imagine what happened.
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Post by chrissyc72 on Mar 14, 2024 9:52:40 GMT
I would highly suggest they find a travel vaccination clinic and get a rabies shot. Ask me how I know it is worth it? Signed, The woman who also lives in a log cabin and was bit by a bat in her sleep. (Much less painful to get a vaccine than to go through a rabies vaccination series) Oh my god!!! Did you know you got bit at the time or did you get sick afterwards??? Thankfully they weren’t sleeping yet and left the house so they knew they weren’t bit or scratched but what a good idea to get the vaccine. I didn’t know there was one!!!! Hope you are all good now!!! |
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Post by chrissyc72 on Mar 14, 2024 9:54:20 GMT
Look up tin cat mouse trap. Cut holes in a small medicine bottle then fill with peanut butter and put the lid on and into the trap. If you wish you can release them far far away from home. Check the dryer vent to be sure they are not coming in through there. Maybe the bats are coming in through the fireplace or logs. Thanks! I will pass this on to them!!!! |
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Post by chrissyc72 on Mar 14, 2024 9:57:12 GMT
I can sympathize with your daughter and finance! We have had a bat or two in our old house (1863) and putting bat houses out in the yard helped some after we had all the spots sealed and the roof replaced. Let's just say there was a lot of adrenaline when we had them - and of course I was home along with our girls at the time and had to figure out how to get them out! Sad to say one did not survive because while I tried to nudge him/her into a fishing net with a tennis racket the darn thing started eking at me and well, you can imagine what happened. This guy told them that he strongly suggests they leave for a few weeks and don’t attempt to catch them! And they have super high ceilings so they really can’t get them. They are very afraid of taking a chance to catch them and get bit/scratched. |
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Post by chrissyc72 on Mar 14, 2024 9:58:07 GMT
Thank you so much everyone for all the tips and info! This has been so upsetting.
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Post by mommaho on Mar 14, 2024 10:01:46 GMT
I can sympathize with your daughter and finance! We have had a bat or two in our old house (1863) and putting bat houses out in the yard helped some after we had all the spots sealed and the roof replaced. Let's just say there was a lot of adrenaline when we had them - and of course I was home along with our girls at the time and had to figure out how to get them out! Sad to say one did not survive because while I tried to nudge him/her into a fishing net with a tennis racket the darn thing started eking at me and well, you can imagine what happened. This guy told them that he strongly suggests they leave for a few weeks and don’t attempt to catch them! And they have super high ceilings so they really can’t get them. They are very afraid of taking a chance to catch them and get bit/scratched. I agree with the guy - it was about 30 years ago when I 'caught' the one I did and we had professionals come in after that! |
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Post by littlemama on Mar 14, 2024 10:15:23 GMT
I would highly suggest they find a travel vaccination clinic and get a rabies shot. Ask me how I know it is worth it? Signed, The woman who also lives in a log cabin and was bit by a bat in her sleep. (Much less painful to get a vaccine than to go through a rabies vaccination series) Oh my god!!! Did you know you got bit at the time or did you get sick afterwards??? Thankfully they weren’t sleeping yet and left the house so they knew they weren’t bit or scratched but what a good idea to get the vaccine. I didn’t know there was one!!!! Hope you are all good now!!! Once you get sick with rabies, it is too late. The recommendation is that if there is a bat in the house, you need the rabies vaccine because they can bite you and you wont know |
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Bridget in MD
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Post by Bridget in MD on Mar 14, 2024 12:19:04 GMT
I would highly suggest they find a travel vaccination clinic and get a rabies shot. Ask me how I know it is worth it? Signed, The woman who also lives in a log cabin and was bit by a bat in her sleep. (Much less painful to get a vaccine than to go through a rabies vaccination series) I have zero experience with bats but that's what I've heard, too. They say due to their super sharp teeth you can be bitten and not even know. Worth a Google to see what is recommended in your area. Just before we left for Italy, my DD"s friend who was going with us was walking outside by her pool and a bat swooped down and hit her in the face. Bc rabies is highly contagious, and there was a mark on her cheek, and it was close to her eye they gave her the shots... they were taking no chances! |
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SweetieBsMom
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Mar 14, 2024 12:34:30 GMT
Oh my god!!! Did you know you got bit at the time or did you get sick afterwards??? Thankfully they weren’t sleeping yet and left the house so they knew they weren’t bit or scratched but what a good idea to get the vaccine. I didn’t know there was one!!!! Hope you are all good now!!! Once you get sick with rabies, it is too late. The recommendation is that if there is a bat in the house, you need the rabies vaccine because they can bite you and you wont knowI would suggest they speak to a doctor about getting the vaccine, especially since they had multiple bats in the house. Not worth taking the chance. |
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Post by mikklynn on Mar 14, 2024 12:53:28 GMT
Log cabins are notorious for being hard to completely seal. One of my BFFs has a huge custom built log cabin. Your DD will need to contract with an expert to seal any openings annually.
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iowgirl
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Post by iowgirl on Mar 14, 2024 13:41:09 GMT
I would highly suggest they find a travel vaccination clinic and get a rabies shot. Ask me how I know it is worth it? Signed, The woman who also lives in a log cabin and was bit by a bat in her sleep. (Much less painful to get a vaccine than to go through a rabies vaccination series) I would not hesitate to start the vaccination process. It is not just one, it is a series. They are not the extremely painful type of years ago. There is no going back with rabies. It is fatal. Oh my god!!! Did you know you got bit at the time or did you get sick afterwards??? Thankfully they weren’t sleeping yet and left the house so they knew they weren’t bit or scratched but what a good idea to get the vaccine. I didn’t know there was one!!!! Hope you are all good now!!! I would have them talk to a physician. Any possibility of the bat saliva on any cut or membrane is scary. If you get sick with rabies, it is fatal. The vaccine has to be administered soon after the possibility of exposure. But a physician should be able to help you decide if needed. Mice. They will probably be a part of their log cabin life forever. Manageable, but always there. One way to find small entrances for mice is to turn off all lights, and pull curtains if possible - to make the inside of the house as dark as possible, on a bright sunny day. Look for any light leaks coming in the house. A mouse can fit through the tinyiest hole or crack. Pack tight with steel wool and there is also rodent proof foam that works great. If they have a basement, look there, from the inside, for light leaks. Around the sill of the house, under door thresholds, etc. Mice can come in with boxes that were left outside or in the door if it is left open for even a short time - like when moving in. |
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Post by bunnyhug on Mar 14, 2024 14:56:24 GMT
Mice. They will probably be a part of their log cabin life forever. Manageable, but always there. One way to find small entrances for mice is to turn off all lights, and pull curtains if possible - to make the inside of the house as dark as possible, on a bright sunny day. Look for any light leaks coming in the house. A mouse can fit through the tinyiest hole or crack. Pack tight with steel wool and there is also rodent proof foam that works great. If they have a basement, look there, from the inside, for light leaks. Around the sill of the house, under door thresholds, etc. Mice can come in with boxes that were left outside or in the door if it is left open for even a short time - like when moving in. My dad was a grain elevator agent for years after growing up on a farm, so he has entirely too much knowledge about mice, rats, skunks, gophers, and assorted and sundry other animals and birds that might figure a giant bin of grain would be a perfect all you can eat buffet! When we had mice in our back yard, he decided to tell me that mice don't really have a ribcage and can fit through a hole the size of a dime  Even though I doubt the complete accuracy of his claim, I do know that they can fit through teeny tiny spaces that you'd never think they could fit through--and besides sealing up everything that even looked like a hole on our house exterior, I also bought a bunch of the little things you plug into outlets and they emit a high pitched noise that is supposed to keep mice away. I don't know if they really work or if we've been lucky, but no mice in the house in 15 years and those little 'squealers' are plugged into outlets around the house perimeter on the main floor and in the basement and the attached garage ... |
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Post by compeateropeator on Mar 14, 2024 15:06:54 GMT
Mice. They will probably be a part of their log cabin life forever. Manageable, but always there. One way to find small entrances for mice is to turn off all lights, and pull curtains if possible - to make the inside of the house as dark as possible, on a bright sunny day. Look for any light leaks coming in the house. A mouse can fit through the tinyiest hole or crack. Pack tight with steel wool and there is also rodent proof foam that works great. If they have a basement, look there, from the inside, for light leaks. Around the sill of the house, under door thresholds, etc. Mice can come in with boxes that were left outside or in the door if it is left open for even a short time - like when moving in. My dad was a grain elevator agent for years after growing up on a farm, so he has entirely too much knowledge about mice, rats, skunks, gophers, and assorted and sundry other animals and birds that might figure a giant bin of grain would be a perfect all you can eat buffet! When we had mice in our back yard, he decided to tell me that mice don't really have a ribcage and can fit through a hole the size of a dime Even though I doubt the complete accuracy of his claim, I do know that they can fit through teeny tiny spaces that you'd never think they could fit through--and besides sealing up everything that even looked like a hole on our house exterior, I also bought a bunch of the little things you plug into outlets and they emit a high pitched noise that is supposed to keep mice away. I don't know if they really work or if we've been lucky, but no mice in the house in 15 years and those little 'squealers' are plugged into outlets around the house perimeter on the main floor and in the basement and the attached garage ... Growing up in the country and surrounded by woods, mice and other animals were just a part of life. A bat infestation is something I wouldn’t play with and would contact a professional for. Mice can get through the smallest places. I literally watched one at work run under a Closed door from our room into the hall. The door was a heavy wooden door, we were in a locked room, and I would say there was less than 1/4 inch gap from the bottom of the door to the floor. I would have never ever believed it unless I watched it. 😬 |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 14, 2024 15:16:09 GMT
Log cabins are notorious for being hard to completely seal. One of my BFFs has a huge custom built log cabin. Your DD will need to contract with an expert to seal any openings annually. 100% this. Our cabin used to be a log cabin and we also had problems with bats and mice until we tore it down and rebuilt it. Knock on wood, we haven’t seen either inside since but it’s all new construction now. |
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iowgirl
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Post by iowgirl on Mar 14, 2024 15:32:47 GMT
I also bought a bunch of the little things you plug into outlets and they emit a high pitched noise that is supposed to keep mice away. I don't know if they really work or if we've been lucky, but no mice in the house in 15 years and those little 'squealers' are plugged into outlets around the house perimeter on the main floor and in the basement and the attached garage ... I am always suspicious if those high frequency devices really work - but I have a friend that absolutely swears by them for his shop. I keep thinking I am going to get some for our shop, but I get too overwhelmed when is start reading the reviews (SO many good/bad) that I just stick with traps and poisons. |
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GiantsFan
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Post by GiantsFan on Mar 14, 2024 15:34:19 GMT
Put up a bat box or two. I would hate to have them in the house and would do to same to have them removed, but outside they are very good at mosquito control.
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Post by compeateropeator on Mar 14, 2024 15:55:26 GMT
I also bought a bunch of the little things you plug into outlets and they emit a high pitched noise that is supposed to keep mice away. I don't know if they really work or if we've been lucky, but no mice in the house in 15 years and those little 'squealers' are plugged into outlets around the house perimeter on the main floor and in the basement and the attached garage ... I am always suspicious if those high frequency devices really work - but I have a friend that absolutely swears by them for his shop. I keep thinking I am going to get some for our shop, but I get too overwhelmed when is start reading the reviews (SO many good/bad) that I just stick with traps and poisons. We rented a camp for years and years that had a really bad mice problem…as it was a camp. They had the high frequency devices and I don’t believe they really worked. Someone forgot to put the cover on a dished with a sick of butter that was sitting right next to a plugged in high frequency device and within hours we saw little teeth marks. 😆😆 Personally, I think you can control them but (depending on your setting/location) you aren’t going to eliminate them in most situations. At our camp we are very conscious of making sure we don’t leave out things that will attract them, especially crumbs and such. Food items not in sealed containers are not left on counters, etc. We even found that during the winter when it was closed we would get one every now and then and there was nothing left that they would want (we put all paper products in containers, etc) and the only thing we saw teeth marks on was the silicone kitchen items like spatulas and stuff. So now we put those in sealed containers for the winter when our camp is closed. ETA - But of all the mice option it seems like there would be no harm in trying the high-frequency devices. If they work great, if not no harm no foul other than you spent a little bit of money. |
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Post by bunnyhug on Mar 14, 2024 15:58:21 GMT
I also bought a bunch of the little things you plug into outlets and they emit a high pitched noise that is supposed to keep mice away. I don't know if they really work or if we've been lucky, but no mice in the house in 15 years and those little 'squealers' are plugged into outlets around the house perimeter on the main floor and in the basement and the attached garage ... I am always suspicious if those high frequency devices really work - but I have a friend that absolutely swears by them for his shop. I keep thinking I am going to get some for our shop, but I get too overwhelmed when is start reading the reviews (SO many good/bad) that I just stick with traps and poisons. I have too many curious/dumb pets for traps or poison to be a safe option, lol! I did not read any reviews, just grabbed the ones that I saw in the local hardware store. At first I didn't have any in the attached garage, but last spring I found a few little signs that a mouse had been exploring, so I bought another pack of the high frequency plug ins and put them in the outlets in the garage, and haven't had any little visitors since doing that. So I guess I'm in the squealer fan club! |
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Post by grammadee on Mar 14, 2024 16:10:09 GMT
I don't want to add any more fear to the situation. I grew up in an old house where we occasionally had bats. They were pretty shy, and I remember my dad catching one in his hat and releasing it outside the door. We have had a bat or two show up in THIS house and we definitely see them flying in the evenings.
But I would suggest a thorough cleaning of the attic after the bats have been removed, and an air quality test. An old school I once worked at had to be closed for several weeks to deal with bats and bat droppings in their attic after a routine health department air test. Apparently, the dust from old bat dung can cause all kinds of illnesses (like some mouse droppings can carry hanta virus)
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Post by chrissyc72 on Mar 14, 2024 16:42:59 GMT
Log cabins are notorious for being hard to completely seal. One of my BFFs has a huge custom built log cabin. Your DD will need to contract with an expert to seal any openings annually. Fortunately these people coming today are the experts and will keep on it!! |
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Even though I doubt the complete accuracy of his claim, I do know that they can fit through teeny tiny spaces that you'd never think they could fit through--and besides sealing up everything that even looked like a hole on our house exterior, I also bought a bunch of the little things you plug into outlets and they emit a high pitched noise that is supposed to keep mice away. I don't know if they really work or if we've been lucky, but no mice in the house in 15 years and those little 'squealers' are plugged into outlets around the house perimeter on the main floor and in the basement and the attached garage ... 
