bats in Broadlands...lil furry creatures

I just went to open my patio umbrella and was greeted by little creatures attached to the umbrella, they looked like mice taking a nap. How the heck do I get rid of them & why does my umbrella always becomes a hotel for critters (mud wasps now bats?
Help me because I'm not going near that umbrella again!

 

OH MY!!!!! How many were there????? I'd keep my umbrella up so you don't give them a home to sleep during the day

 

just leave the umbrella open a little so they leave when its dusk. Wrap towels or something around the wire, leave the umbrella open so it doesnt become a good place to sleep the day away.
Bats are awesome to have! They eat all the bad bugs we dont want. They deserve a home too - and they will find some where else to go. Just dont disturb them, they will leave at dusk.

 

My umbrella is usually open but was closed for a week after the last storm, they were attached to the umbrella fabric taking a nap.
Bella Rue I know they need a home but they should post a litttle sign saying there is no vacancy at the inn : )
I was not planning on seeing anything inside the umbrella, I'm glad I just didn't stick myself inside to open it like I usually do!

 

reason #458 that i am becoming agoraphobic...

 

Our umbrella becomes a "Bat Inn" as well. We keep it closed on days like today when there is a chance of storms. The last time I opened it, a bat flew out and he flew just centimeters over my head. Freaky. Oh, and last year about this time, we had a mama bat use our umbrella as her nursery for a couple of weeks. Some of the perks of "living naturally". Isn't that our slogan??

 

When my wife and I where in Sydney, Australia we where walking at dusk. As we approached the Royal Botanical Gardens a guard was about to close the gate for the night. We explained that we wanted to just walk through to the other side and to please not make us go around. We where down by the water and to go around the gardens would have added miles to our destination. So the guard, in his heavy accent said, "At your own risk mate". Happy to get through I did not think to ask about the risk part. Well about ten minutes later while we are all alone with no cell phones these guys start swarming over head!

I'm talking thousands of them and they have 2-3 feet wing spans! I told my wife not to worry, after all surly they would not let us in if they attacked people. "Are you kidding, this is Australia where they wrestle crocodiles and sharks for fun" ,she exclaimed. So our walk turned into a run. Turned out they are big ugly fruit bats but harmless, most of the time.

Don't let local bats get in your attic or you will have a loud stinky mess.

Have Fun,
Steve Campot
www.sgcrealestate.com

 

Ack! Thanks for the nightmares :scaredeyes:

 

Maybe put up a bat house that would be more inviting? Hopefully they would cut down on your nighttime pests like mosquitoes.

 

Wow, I think they're facinating prehistoric creatures - flying mammels, no less and the babies nurse from their mothers. Besides, they're so beneficial to our environment. If you sit outside at late dusk you can see them flying around. They're flying pattern is very erratic and fast. Because of their poor vision they rely mostly on sound, similar to whales I think, using echolocation.

 

Swallows have a similar flying pattern... do they every fly around at dusk? Or can I be sure that if it's at dusk or later it's a bat?

I LOVE that they're around eating all the bugs I don't want to deal with! I think they're cute, but would probably scream if I saw them in my umbrella since I wouldn't really be expecting that!

 

and they make tasty kebabs, just sayin'

 

I'm not hating on the bats or their environmental benefits, just this particular picture!

 

It is so funny that one person's nightmare is another persons dream. I love bats. Going to Australia and getting to see those big flying foxes (the fruitbats) is on my 'bucket list'.

 

note to self... never trade buckets with T8ERGIRL.....

:scaredeyes:

 

I love bats as well. My son and I spend at least 4-5 nights a week looking for bats at dusk.

You can keep them away from your umbrella by soaking a few rags in ammonia and putting them up there. I would think one or two times would keep them away for good.

 

Thanks for sharing a great story! Doesn't travelling just expand your world with wonderful new experiences? We saw a fruit bat up close in Disney's Animal Kingdom - they are huge and kinda scary looking so I can't imagine being surrounded by them!

 

I'd probably pass out if I had a swarm of them around me! I don't like flying things in general....I remember being in Florida and seeing those huge Palmentto bugs flying around...one of the reasons I don't go to Florida.

 

:scaredshake: Those are GROSS!!!!!!!!! I'd rather have 10 bats fly around than ONE of those buggers. And lets not even THINK about the cicadas. I'm going to have to move before they come back in 11 years or whatever it is where they'll infest the earth around here for 2 weeks.

 

So out of curiosity, I googled Palmetto bug images and got photos of different looking bugs...does it look like a large water cockroach or is it the more beetle type insect?