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Bats in homes not that uncommon
By Scott Richardson
srichardson@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON -- Julia Carver of Bloomington wants it known: She doesn't have bats in her belfry. Her house near Illinois Wesleyan University doesn't have one of those.

But she's had three bats elsewhere in her house in the past 18 months. Experts she's consulted think a few bats may be living in her walls, in the attic or in the basement.

"One is an accident. Two, maybe. But, three? There's probably a colony living somewhere in the house. To me, two are a colony," she said.

Joe Kath, endangered species program manager with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said the problem is more common than people might think. He fields two to five calls a week from homeowners about bats.

This is the time of year Kath said most bats migrate south to find places to hibernate through the winter. But some may hang around Central Illinois if they find warm places to survive the cold months.

With an exception for public health reasons, state law forbids killing bats. But the good news is repairs can be made to Carver's two-story home to batten down the hatches. Once complete, bats will be able to find their way out, where they feed on insects, but they won't be able to return indoors. One downside is the work could cost as much as $1,000. Another is that after Carver's most recent nocturnal visit, a nuisance wildlife professional told her she may have to put up with her uninvited guests until they awake in spring.

Carver, 45, has retained a sense of humor.

"Living in harmony with nature - I think this is the attitude I have to take, but I don't even camp," she said.

But she's aware bats have a serious side. They join raccoons and skunks as the big three rabies carriers in North America.

Earlier this month, a 10-year-old Indiana girl died of rabies she apparently contracted from a bat bite. In 2005, two people in McLean County received a series of post-exposure rabies shots after a house cat developed rabies.

McLean County Public Health Director Robert Keller thinks only a bat, which can capitalize on an opening ¼- to ½-inch wide, could have been the culprit. Two bats have tested positive for rabies in the Twin Cities this year, he added.

In Carver's case, the first bat made its appearance in the summer of 2005. Her daughter found it on a stairway leading to the bedrooms upstairs. They captured it in a plastic container, put a lid over it and took it outside.

Bat No. 2 was an unexpected guest at a dinner party earlier this year. One of her friends was giving a tour of the house when they saw the bat hanging in the walk-up attic. Carver phoned 911. McLean County Animal Control responded, and took it away. It was killed and tested for rabies. Results were negative.

About 1:30 a.m. Nov. 7, she was awakened by her dog growling, an unusual occurrence.

"It was definitely spooky. I'd never heard her do that before," said Carver, who discovered bat No. 3 flying in her living room.

The county's animal control also captured that bat, which was killed to be tested. Results again were negative.

"Animal control has been really good with me. Everyone who has come out has been really nice. But I'm going to put them on speed dial," she said.

Keller said the county has a contract with both Bloomington and Normal to provide animal control, including bats. Because the towns are both home-rule units, animal control officers have more latitude to remove the animals, which are protected under both state and federal law, he said. Homeowners outside the Twin Cities with bats indoors are referred to private nuisance animal experts, he said.

Kath explained legal protections are afforded to all 12 species of bats found in Illinois even though just four species are on the state and/or federal endangered species lists. The others are covered for a variety of reasons, including the fact some species only give birth to one offspring a year, he said. As a result, allowing routine destruction of adults could put a dent in the numbers of bats in species that are numerous now, such as the big brown bat common in Illinois and which is causing Carver her headaches.

Bats also provide social benefits, Kath noted. They are one of the chief predators of insects that damage soybeans and corn, and they eat mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus. Rabies only affects about one in 200 of the animals, he added.

But Keller warned statistics don't tell the whole story. Pockets exist where rabies is more prevalent, and two cases of infected bats in the Twin Cities in a year are reason enough to take precautions against exposure, he said. A bite is unnecessary for rabies to be transmitted, he stressed. Only saliva from an infected animal and an open wound on the skin are enough.

"Don't handle them. You're rolling the dice. You are still playing Russian roulette," Keller said.

Meanwhile, Carver says a simple prayer: "God, I understand they are your creatures. I understand what they do for the environment. But please keep them out of my living quarters. I don't want to go to bed every night worrying about a bat flying around."



Having a bat plan

If you find a bat in the house

-- Open a window or door to the outside. That should be enough for a bat to quickly find its way out.

-- If that doesn't work, Twin City residents can call authorities. McLean County Animal Control will remove it.

-- Make sure heavy gloves are worn when removing a bat yourself. Capture it in a container, take it outdoors and free it.

-- Vaccinate cats and dogs, even ones that never go outside, against rabies.

-- The best anti-bat measure is to prevent them from getting inside in the first place. Repair even the smallest of holes.

-- Call Joe Kath, endangered species program manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, at (217) 785-8764 for a bat information packet that offers tips on repairs to keep bats outdoors.

SOURCE: Robert Keller, McLean County Public Health Department, and Joe Kath, Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Take a look
Angelo Capparella holds a large brown bat from the Illinois State University collection Nov. 14, 2006. (Pantagraph/Lori Ann Cook)
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Reader comments on this story - 7 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Dani buyno wrote on Jan 9, 2008 8:19 PM:

" i had two bats last night and it's the middle of winter hope the chances of any more in my house are slim! ahhh my husband had to tackle them down in my kids room they even woke up the baby if anyone does have bats i'd recomend finding their entrance. I hope i don't have to wake up to anymore tonight. "

Ron Scheller wrote on Nov 29, 2006 12:27 AM:

" There are bats in many homes in every city or town, as I've been doing bat exclusion work for about 15 years and get to experience it firsthand. They will not leave a structure and move into a bat house. I've installed them for 10 years and the success rate for occupancy is only about 15%. Sealing the structure and using one-way excluders is the ONLY way to deal with bats. Mothballs? NO WAY. It's illegal to use them for any wildlife control, and also very dangerous to HUMANS. Having any bat found inside your home tested is the smart thing to do. You don't get a second chance with rabies. Info on my site at thebatguy.com "

Bat fan wrote on Nov 27, 2006 9:02 AM:

" Sad that each bat was killed, and tested negitive for rabies. What a waste of life! Try contacting a wildlife rehabilitator rather than animal control. "

so wrote on Nov 26, 2006 1:42 PM:

" at least she may not need to worry about skeeters & west nile virus... sounds like it would be worth it to have a bat house outside "

hmm wrote on Nov 26, 2006 1:21 PM:

" Guess I'd better hide my bat graveyard...not in my home...protected or not. If you choose not to kill them as I do, try mothballs in the corners of your attic or in the gutters...this will repell most flying insects as well as most all birds and bats. "

Byuild a bat house. wrote on Nov 26, 2006 7:41 AM:

" What are the odds that a sick bat will have rabies? Fewer than ten people in over 50 years have contracted rabies from North American bat species that commonly live in bat houses. Like all mammals, bats can contract rabies, though very few do (less than half of one percent). Unlike many other animals, even rabid bats rarely become aggressive. They quickly die from the disease, and outbreaks in their colonies are extremely rare. The odds of being harmed by a rabid bat are remote if you simply do not attempt to handle bats. Any bat that can be easily caught should be assumed to be sick and left alone. We do not recommend attracting bats to places where curious children are likely to attempt handling them. With or without bats in your yard, the most important action you can take to protect your family from rabies is to vaccinate your family dogs and cats. "

Grumpy old gray hair wrote on Nov 26, 2006 7:40 AM:

" There have been bats in the twin cities for ever. If you want them out of your house. find where they are coming in, and fix it. Winter time is a good time to find the hole or holes they are going in. Heat detectors that HVAC men use to find heat escaping from your home will work now. They look like a pair of binoculars. Build a bat house and they will stay in it. "
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