Bats are amazing creatures……um or so I am told.  I’m told they are amazing because of such things as:

Most bats have only one pup a year, making them extremely vulnerable to extinction. Bat mothers can find their babies among thousands or millions of other bats by their unique voices and scents.

Bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour and often consume their body weight in insects every night, helping keep bug populations in check.

Bats can live more than 30 years and can fly at speeds of up to 60 mph.

Anyone who knows and appreciate these things about bats love to have bats around their yard even going as far as to place bat houses around to attract them.  The funny thing for me,  as amazing as bats are, please refer back to my opening line as I am only told they are amazing but I am still not convinced. I personally  could do without them, at least on the inside of my home.  Okay lets just get honest, for me they are on the same level as spiders and snakes, just the mere thought of them sends shivers down my spine, gives me the hebbie-jeebies, sending me into a panic attack. I would much rather meet a raging bear or cougar then a bat…….but just so the record is straight I really do not want an opportunity to write a post on encountering those 2 beast of nature either.

My opinion of bats could have to do with the fact that every home we have ever lived in has been an older home.  Older homes have character, older homes have grace and beauty, older homes are inviting, older homes have lots of areas that aren’t air tight. Older homes have bats! Bats have an uncanny way of finding the smallest of spots to squeeze through.  A hole the size of a dime can give one of these creatures enough room to come and visit you without you having asked it, i.e.. no bat house require.

My first main encounter with a bat happened several years ago. I had one prior to that but it was non monumental compared to this. At the time we were living in an old farm house that had been renovated, complete new roof, new soffits, insulated, new siding, the whole works.  Bats were not a concern.  Being an old farm house it had some quirks.  We didn’t have any light sockets near our bed, the light switch was way across the room by the door to the hallway.  One night, once the little ones (# 1 and #2 who aren’t little ones anymore) were sound asleep in their rooms and with Mr. Amazing snoring soundly next to me I lay in bed reading.  Sleep finally caught up to me so I closed my book, slid out of bed, crossed the floor to the doorway, flipped off the light switch, walked back over to bed in total darkness and slid in ready to doze.  I wasn’t in bed 2 minutes when I felt some flutter right about my head. 

As I had mentioned I had had an encounter prior to this with bats several years before, which had never really left my mind. The flutter I had felt that night, a bat hadn’t occurred to me at that moment.  In fact I lay there for a moment wondering to myself if I had really felt something trying to assure myself I had not when it happened again.  It was that second time that a light bulb flashed in my mind and I reached for Mr. Amazing to say “I think there is a bat in our room”. Keep in mind it was in hushed tones, my goodness if it was a bat I didn’t want to say it loud enough for it to know I knew it was in there.  Not totally alert from being awoke from a sound sleep, Mr. Amazing made me repeat what I had just said, the whole time I lay there waiting for the next fly by.  Mr Amazing’s response? “There’s no bat in here.” To which I encouraged him strongly but lovingly “please go turn the light on and check”.  He sat up slowly, got his bearing’s and stood up.  I could hear him slowing walk across the room. By this time I was sure it was a bat so I had retreated under the covers just in case I was right. 

I saw the light come on, though dimmed by the blankets overhead and the next thing I heard was the bedroom door slam shut. From the other side of the door, in the hallway,  I hear my hero say, “you were right, there is a bat in there!”. I lay there in utter disbelief. Not totally sure if what I heard in his voice was fear or laughter.  I managed to squeak out, “what should I do?”, as if there were many options.  My charming, ever witty husband said to his terrified wife, “if I were you I would stay under the covers”.

While I am sure I looked like this under the covers my only comfort was……………

I was just as sure that my Mr. Amazing looked like this in the hallway despite his quick wit.  

I was also confident the bat, as it flew over my head, was doing this at me.

Obviously I eventually came out.  We checked the boys room, closed their doors to keep the bat out should he exit our room.  I found my way downstairs and Mr. Amazing armed solely with a sheet went back into our room to capture our unwelcome visitor. Not being able to take the stress of the impending fight I left the 2^nd floor all together and retreated to the kitchen which just happen to be directly below our bedroom.   I must admit it sounded from down below that up above he was wrestling a bear. Several images raced through my mind what that bat must be doing to him to make such noises.  But in the end, the bat was captured, Mr. Amazing was no worse for wear and we finally got to bed.

I would like to say that this encounter was our last with bats but unfortunately this was not the case.  We lived in that house for 3 years and we probably had another 4 issues with bats.  One night in the summer we were sitting out on our front porch about dusk, we usually sat out back.  As we were talking we saw a bat flutter out from between the chimney and the house.  The previous owners had rebuilt the chimney and it was at a terrible angle which must have been perfect for bats to stay.  One after another came out of the chimney that night.  We ended up counting over 70 bats that evening.  After that we never had another bat in that old house while we lived there, maybe they found more desirable housing.  At least they left before they drove us batty!

Lea