A Bat in My House!

I'm not good with bugs or bats! I fully admit it! This morning after getting up around 1:15 to let the Danes out, I saw a bat flying around in the living room and freaked out!

I saw it flying around and thought that's a really big moth. Uh, no! I looked again and saw it , I flying around and realized it was a bat! I was brave enough to shut the pocket doors and then called up to my wife, Bonnie to come downstairs.

We have had bats in our house before, but it's been many many years. The 1st time it happened my wife was asleep in the bedroom and it was around 3 in the morning. I was downstairs and she shouted that there was a bat in the room. I came upstairs looked in and said she was dreaming and to go back to sleep. Two minutes later she called again and I came upstairs again. This time I saw it, and shut the door, with my wife still in the bedroom! It's amazing we are still married!

I called the Bangor Police, having just finished my term on the Bangor City Council. I said I didn't care what they needed to do, but I needed help! I at least didn't call 9-1-1, I used the non-emergency line. They explained while they wanted to help, they couldn't as the officer could contract rabies! I'm thinking duh, that's why I'm calling, they have bulletproof vests that will protect them! They did offer to give me a number for someone, and I called this elder Mainer in the middle of the night!

He lived just a few miles away, and answered the phone. After apologizing for calling in the middle of the night, I explained I was desperate. He said he would come over but it would be costly. I'm thinking $100-$200 but he said it would be $25. I said that would be fine! He came over and 2 minutes later he had caught it and released it outside.

Shortly thereafter, I was asleep on the bed, and thought that Wishbone, our little Jack Russell Terrier was jumping on the bed and near my head. I kind of swatted him away. Turns out it wasn't Wish, it was a bat, who had hit the ceiling fan and landed on my head! I found this out as Wish was now on my bed, barking at the bat!

I think at that point we called our neighbor Steve, who is from New Mexico, and was used to dealing with bats! He came over that night and took care of it, and did so a couple of times thereafter.

Flash forward to this morning! My wife was downstairs with a butterfly net, ready to do battle. I'm cowering with Elmer. I said let's call Steve. She said we can't call Steve in the middle of the night. I said let's call Steve. After she peeked in and saw the bat flying around she said ok, call Steve.

God bless my neighbor of 20 plus years. He came right over and said he needed a sheet. After having way more courage than I to even be in the same room, he threw the sheet over the bat, and wrapped him up and took him outside to release it.  While we were outside, I saw another bat flying around!

Now I realize they eat mosquitoes and bats serve a purpose, but AAARGH not in my house please!