An Annual Tradition

Since it's Halloween, and I always associate the holiday with bats, I thought I'd give my annual report on the flying mammal in our lives. Some of you may remember that we had had live sightings in our home in 2001-2005 and again in 2006

Actually, Carol saw one at school in the winter months, most unusual.

I saw one in the boys' locker of the local YMCA back in July. I immediately went to the front desk and the center director and a custodian trapped it quite efficiently. I was razzed by my friends for leaving, but it wasn't fear of the animal as much as fear that someone else coming into the locker room might be freaked out. It's likely that the bat came down a HVAC vent that was being cleaned out.

My wife has unbridled optimism. Our bat last year arrived on August 1, and since we'd each seen a bat elsewhere, she figured we were safe. But on the night of August 24/25, in the midst of a return of hot and humid weather that had abated for a couple weeks, she (but not I) was awakened by something. Yes, it was another bat. As it flew into the guest room, carol closed the door and stuffed a towel under the door, and went back to bed, but probably did not sleep well. Come morning, she and I went into the room, with badminton racquets at the ready. We saw nothing until I hit my fall jacket that was hanging on the door, and down fell the bat, slightly stunned. Immediately, carol put her racquet on it, and we managed to get the beast in a shoebox, just as Lydia came into the room.

We taped up the box, I poked holes in it, and Carol eventually took it to the health department. A few days later, it was confirmed not to be rabid. But it HAD been alive, something that the person opening the box was...surprised to find. The drop-off place was unstaffed and the form we usually fill out in these cases was not there. So, oops, sorry.

Yes, we had netting in the possible entrance points, and we THINK we won't have one next year. I'll let you know.
ROG