Bats in the Belfry

picky

Sep 10, '06 · 10:46 AM1,670

Well, actually, not in the belfry, but in the bedroom. Imagine this cozy little scene circa midnight last night. Philippa is in the bathroom brushing her teeth, having just come in from a wild night of dancing at the Greek Festival down the street. Merman is sound asleep and I am in bed reading. All of a sudden out of the periphery of my vision I catch this dark, fast movement in the air. I glance up to see this huge thing swooping around our room! I duck my head under the sheets, fast, but not before I poke the sleeping Merman hard in the sides. "There's something flying in the room!" I yell. He mumbles "It's only a creature" in a tone of voice that says Why Are You Bothering ME I'm Sleeping with a subtext of Swat The Thing If It's Bothering You. I poke him again, harder, and he sits upright to see a big bat doing figure eights around the room.

I peek from underneath the sheets to see the man of the hour leaping out of bed. "It's a bat, Philippa!" Instead of shreiking from the bathroom as you would have expected, teenage daughter says "Thank god! I thought I was having hallucinations when I came in the door." This gave me the courage to get out of bed to take a look. I figure if Philippa is not going to be a shrinking violet in the face of close encounters with nature, neither would I.

It was amazing. We opened the windows and doors and watched as the bat circled and swooped for about ten minutes before it flew out. It was going so fast that Merman shouted that there were two of them--it really did appear that way! The whole experience was waaaay cool.

Now we have to figure out how it got in the house at midnight...

Replies

Beach Fanatic

Sep 10, '06 · 10:50 AM#2

Now we have to figure out how it got in the house at midnight...

Dracula comes to mind. ;-) Bats really are cool. But they belong outside.
I am glad you got the little guy out of the house without anyone being injured or guano'd or anything else.

SoWal Expert

Sep 10, '06 · 10:52 AM#3

Ok...now this is really freaky. I had JUST gotten off a bat website to check into taking a little trip down to the Texas Hill Country to see the bats emerge from their caves..

Anyhoo, very cool, Mermaid!! I :wub:

bats, although I might feel differently if they were in my house!!

Beach Fanatic

Sep 10, '06 · 10:57 AM#4

How skeeerrrryyy Mermaid! We used to have a problem with bats hiding inside our oversized patio umbrella on the deck....it got to be a pretty comical scene whenever anyone would try to open the umbrella; we'd have to first shake the umbrella or stick the end of a broom inside to scare them out, then ever-so-slowly open the umbrella. There were as many as five or six at one time up there. We finally had to get rid of the huge umbrella since we never could figure out a way to keep them out; seemed that no matter how tightly we'd seal up the umbrella at both ends they'd still find a way in during the night. We have a regular table-sized umbrella now and don't seem to have any problems.

I used to imagine how scary it would be if one of them had gotten into the house, and wondered how we'd ever get them out. Bet that was a real waker-upper in the middle of the night! Glad you were able to get the guy out!

FunnChef - AlisonCooks.com

Sep 10, '06 · 11:09 AM#5

I would have been freeked out, too...but it is very cool that you had the courage to watch it...now, if it becomes a common occurance...that could be cause for concern! You could have them in your attic.... :idontno:

Also...do you have a fire place and is the flue open?

DD...that is REALLY wild that you were just looking into batting....:shock:

SoWal Expert

Sep 10, '06 · 11:21 AM#6

I would have been freeked out, too...but it is very cool that you had the courage to watch it...now, if it becomes a common occurance...that could be cause for concern! You could have them in your attic....
Also...do you have a fire place and is the flue open?

DD...that is REALLY wild that you were just looking into batting....:shock:

I know!!

pickyAuthor

Sep 10, '06 · 11:30 AM#7

Ok...now this is really freaky. I had JUST gotten off a bat website to check into taking a little trip down to the Texas Hill Country to see the bats emerge from their caves..

Anyhoo, very cool, Mermaid!! I bats, although I might feel differently if they were in my house!!

You know what else was freaky? On "Prairie Home Companion" that evening, it was a repeat episode. From HALLOWEEN. Garrison Keeler was talking about vampires and haunting headless queens and and and and bats!! I didn't know that we'd have our own radio show in our bedroom, too. :roll:

fartblossom

Sep 10, '06 · 11:41 AM#8

when my hubby still lived at home, he said they had one fly in thru the fire place while the damper was open - how nasty !!!

directionally challenged

Sep 10, '06 · 12:36 PM#9

I had one in my Tarpon Springs house years ago. My ex was chasing him with a broom and I felt so bad for the little guy. He came out of my kitchen lighting and luckily I held the door open and he flew out. They fly so fast that I don't think they'll really come down and suck on your neck or anything. I personally think they get a bad rap

Meow

Sep 10, '06 · 12:38 PM#10

Mermaid's gone batty!!!

Beach Lover

Sep 10, '06 · 12:48 PM#11

I am soooo FREAKING scared of bats!
Being a good mother(well, at least I TRY to be) I once went down to the Congress St. bridge in Austin to watch the million or so bats leave for the evening. YARGH!! It was the worst. I was on the river bank because I thought it would be out of the batzone. WRONG. They flew just over my head. I was just sure I would be covered in guano.

Beach Fanatic

Sep 10, '06 · 12:54 PM#12

Do you have a wreath on your door that it could have been hiding in, then when Fyl opened the door, it flew in. This happened to me, except it was a bird.

fartblossom

Sep 10, '06 · 3:09 PM#13

it's been over a year ago, our hospital went to totally non-smoking. a patient in one of the back halls opened his window to sneak a puff on the 6th floor and a bat flew in the window about 3 a.m. that was exciting for the nurses and security !

SoWal Insider

Sep 11, '06 · 9:46 AM#14

Poor Mermy!!

We had a bat come in through the attic vent once. Scared me good. My husband was out of town and I called Daddy. He came over and we gently ushered the lil lost bat out. Things were so much calmer with Daddy there. I was ready to swat it with a tennis racket before he got there. Sorry animal lovers, I was young and scared, that's all I can say in my defense. Not at all brave like Pyl.

percy

Sep 11, '06 · 9:51 AM#15

Well, actually, not in the belfry, but in the bedroom.

Mermaid! I think perhaps the mouse in the spare bedroom sprouted wings and flew into your bedroom! :funn:

Darlene is my middle name, not my nickname

Sep 11, '06 · 9:53 AM#16

Bats are so cool. I love them. We have a security light on our driveway. I love to sit out on my deck at night right at dusk and watch them fly around the light eating the mosquitos. They are such neat animals. Now, Mermy, however I don't think that I would like them in my bedroom though.

SoWal Guide

Sep 11, '06 · 10:25 AM#17

I was being chased around my bedroom by a massive cockroach the other day, it was amazingly fast and I was screaming my head off. could not go to bed until it was dead. but I think the bat would be scarier...

by the way jdarg we have massive cockroaches in Florida and they just walk in your house whenever they want.

SoWal Expert

Sep 11, '06 · 10:30 AM#18

I was being chased around my bedroom by a massive cockroach the other day, it was amazingly fast and I was screaming my head off. could not go to bed until it was dead. but I think the bat would be scarier...

by the way jdarg we have massive cockroaches in Florida and they just walk in your house whenever they want.

Hate those things!!! Gimme bats any day! Or, snakes, or spiders........well, maybe not spiders!

SoWal Insider

Sep 11, '06 · 11:00 AM#19

I was being chased around my bedroom by a massive cockroach the other day, it was amazingly fast and I was screaming my head off. could not go to bed until it was dead. but I think the bat would be scarier...

by the way jdarg we have massive cockroaches in Florida and they just walk in your house whenever they want.

An attack cockroach?!? Those Florida bugs have such attitude.

SoWal Guide

Sep 11, '06 · 11:05 AM#20

An attack cockroach?!? Those Florida bugs have such attitude.

I know. much tude. and nearly as big as a bat. they can fly too... not quite as acrobatic as a bat though...

SoWal Insider

Sep 11, '06 · 11:09 AM#21

I know. much tude. and nearly as big as a bat. they can fly too... not quite as acrobatic as a bat though...

FLY!!! Horrors! How have I missed this on my trips to Sowal in the past? Must have been the wine.

SoWal Insider

Sep 11, '06 · 7:29 PM#22

Yes, roaches can fly. I've had them fly toward me in this house. The roaches here are called sewer roaches. They are found in the sinks in the bathrooms, the tub, etc. We have traps out for the roaches in our cabinets in the kitchen. And then there are the camel crickets and spiders of different varieties in the basement, A picture of the camel cricket that can jump very high, like 5 to 6 feet or more is below. Had one jump onto my shirt at face level once. Yuck! Anyone else have these? They are found in basements, attics, and outdoors!

Edited Sep 11, '06 · 7:43 PM

SoWal Insider

Sep 11, '06 · 7:40 PM#23

Mermy,

I'm still trying to catch up from the weekend. All I can say is what a Bat Turd for invading your house and home at such an ungodly hour.

As RO would say.......got pics of Merman when he realized there was a bat turd flying around your house?!? :funn:

SoWal Guide

Sep 11, '06 · 7:47 PM#24

Mermy,

I'm still trying to catch up from the weekend. All I can say is what a Bat Turd for invading your house and home at such an ungodly hour.

As RO would say.......got pics of Merman when he realized there was a bat turd flying around your house?!? :funn:

I just happen to have the picture of merman: