Bats in the Belfry.......conclusion

So now it's been 5 nights and no sign of the horrid invaders.  We have plugged, taped, insulated and sealed every hole, crack, crevice, vent and pipe we can.  We have moved furniture, swept behind those we couldn't with a broom handle and yardstick;  taken down curtains and checked under blinds and shades.

I am still skitish and apprehensive.  There is a light on in every room from dusk till the sun is high in the sky the next morning.  My eyes still dart everywhere as I walk from room to room.  This may last a week or two or a month or two.  Or never alleviate.  It's sad to be captive in your own home.

From the inspector/exterminator we learned this:

Bats usually don't enter a mobile home.  It's very rare.  They're mostly looking for high places to roost.  (Really??  Hmmm....I think we should change our name to "Murphy")  This does nothing for my peace of mind.

Bats can enter a hole as small as the tip of your pinkie finger, or a space no bigger than 1/2".  Check the tip of your pinkie finger......yep......that's right!

They get in between walls as well as the usual attics and ceilings.  They will hibernate all year long, coming out when they need to drink.

Unlike mice, they don't chew their way through anything to create an entrance, but rather enter through an existing opening.

They will lay dormant in your house until they need a drink, which could be 3 weeks or so;  then come out of hiding, flying around, looking for that drink.  Therefore, the statement from that yahoo who told me "they'll be dead in 2 days" was definitely wrong!

July and August are the worst times.  The young are getting ready to leave the "nursery".  The mother will follow them in flight.  If the young fly into a pipe or space, mother will be right behind them.

Once they leave a nest or nursery, they will return to the same spot to roost.  So getting them out of the house doesn't mean you got them out.....they will come back if they can.

They will not fly into a person or attack you unless they feel threatened.  When they're chasing you down the hall, they're really not chasing you, but looking for a way out.  Again.....does nothing for my peace of mind.

Bats can fly through an 800+ sq. ft. home in......10 seconds!!

Signs of invasion are poops the size of mouse droppings.  But mouse droppings will squish when rubbed with your fingers; bat droppings will disintegrate like dust and you'll see evidence of bug wings and such.  Also gray streaks running down the outside or inside walls.....urine.

Putting up "bat houses" outside is a good deterent to keep them from finding ways into your home.  Ehhhh, yeah.  I'm not sold on the idea of providing a place for them to roost.  I'd just as soon they find somewhere else....far, far away.

And that's pretty much it.  I pray that my anxieties will ease very soon and things will really get back to normal around here.  Although, I may never be able to watch another "Batman" movie.......ever!!