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Bat sleeping in patio umbrella (2 Viewers)

I have a patio umbrella most of the time closed up due to the wind on my deck. Yesterday the cat jumped up on the table which he never does, and I noticed droppings under umbrella. Curious, began to crank it open and there was a mouse - NO not a mouse! - a bat hanging onto the inside of the umbrella about 1/2 way up and we woke it up! I quickly cranked the umbrella closed again. A recent news report had a rabid bat handled by a family in northern Colorado and they are all undergoing shots now. I don't want to be paranoid and assume every bat has rabies - I just don't want it inside my umbrella! Short of taking the umbrella down (after dusk when it has gone off to eat mosquitos) what can I do?
 
I'm kind of green with envy on one hand but I do understand your caution on the other.

Not sure what to tell you in this case. Perhaps someone with some bat knowledge will have some suggestions.
 
Wait a minute (I thought as I was typing) I've seen that poop before! On top of the outside spigot underneath the deck! So I ran downstairs to the spigot, looked up, and by golly, there was a bat sleeping between the deck support and the brick of the house! Well, now, we have a population, don't we? This one I don't mind. The other one has to find a new home though. By the way I took pictures of the downstairs bat. How do I put that in here?
 
LOL, well I'd like to see a pic of the poop too ;)

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Here's the little guy! So what is he? Can't be more than a couple inches big as the space he's in is about 8" wide.
 

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Pretty cool, if you ask me, but I understand the trepidation of having one in an object you might be sitting under.
I can only suggest a bathouse. Not a bath-house, a bat-house.
They are made of wood, very thin and you put them relatively high.
Places that sell bird seed and/or other types of feed generally have them.

Best of luck and remember, just don't handle it!!

Elizabeth
 
Solved the problem of the umbrella. I just decided to open it and make it an inhospitable bed. Determined where bat was from copious droppings, stayed on other side of umbrella, once fully open, it hung by one toenail for a moment and flew out. Landed next to deck rail which it conked into. Stayed there for 5 minutes gathering its wits, and flew off to a tree. Washed off patio table, swept away droppings, now I'm going to have lunch on my deck!
BTW, I assume it was the same bat UNDER the deck yesterday because the wind was blowing so hard it was making the umbrella shake and dance, even closed, and the poor thing probably couldn't get a decent day's sleep.
 
tommysmommy said:
I have a patio umbrella most of the time closed up due to the wind on my deck. Yesterday the cat jumped up on the table which he never does, and I noticed droppings under umbrella. Curious, began to crank it open and there was a mouse - NO not a mouse! - a bat hanging onto the inside of the umbrella about 1/2 way up and we woke it up! I quickly cranked the umbrella closed again. A recent news report had a rabid bat handled by a family in northern Colorado and they are all undergoing shots now. I don't want to be paranoid and assume every bat has rabies - I just don't want it inside my umbrella! Short of taking the umbrella down (after dusk when it has gone off to eat mosquitos) what can I do?
I think everyone has that fear but, in truth, I think it unfounded. In the UK it's illegal to disturb bats as they are a protected species. I once had a pipistrelle hanging on the back of a curtain - I thought it was a large moth it was so tiny. I have to say that I put gloves on to capture it - same thoughts as you had. Of course, it didn't even try to bite me. What I remember is how silently it flew off - one minute it was there the next, gone - and I hadn't even noticed!

I wonder what the true prevalence of them carrying rabies is - minute, I expect!
 
After looking here and there on the net, seems this was just your basic Little Brown Bat. I've really educated myself since finding it a few days ago, and as mosquitos here are now carrying West Nile Virus, I'm glad to know we have bats around to catch them. If they choose to roost between deck and house I have no problem. Sorry to say though, my patio umbrella is off limits to them. After the bat left yesterday I thoroughly enjoyed my deck and sat under umbrella for lunch and a bit of knitting. We're also having company this weekend to use the deck and for goodness sake, I know they'd freak at seeing a bat!
 
My little bat friend is back - this time he was in one of the outer folds of the umbrella. When I opened it up, I got this shot of him. Can you tell I'm not freaked out about it anymore?
 

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tommysmommy said:
We're also having company this weekend to use the deck and for goodness sake, I know they'd freak at seeing a bat!
Ah! But this is your chance to educate ;)
 
Ah! But this is your chance to educate


Absolutely!! Find out a few bat facts and stun your friends. Make them as jealous as I am.

Start by telling them that bats are more closely related to humans than they are to mice. Thats a good start.
 
Bat living in my patio umbrella keeps coming back

Hi I saw the post from 2006 so it's been awhile but I need help. I have this little bat that has lived with me (in my patio umbrellas) for over a year now. He is the only one and he doesn't ever try to bother with me, but I worry about him falling out when I open it during the day onto me or a guest. I've tried leaving the umbrellas open at night so he won't come back but after a few days he always does. My friend who is in animal control came and took him (alive) in a net and took him about 20 miles away. Well, this morning, he is back. Any thoughts or ideas? Besides taking my umbrellas away forever? Thanks!
 
They are beautiful little creatures and would love one in my umbrella!
Personally I would fix the umbrella further out into the garden if that was possible and leave the bat be or buy a bat house and see if it the bat would move into that!
I would buy a new umbrella and when it isn't in use, take it inside so you don't have any bats living in it.

As Andyadcock said; here in the UK, you cannot handle bats unless you have a permit as they are protected and for good reason.
 
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