So, who should have done what?

[luvdiznee]

We are temporarily living in an apartment where there are 6 other units. It's me DD13 and older DS, thank goodness was home at this time.

So it's about 4 a.m. and I hear older DS like scuffling/running. I'm a very light sleeper and this is a small place. So I get up, he says there's a bat in his room. So he closes the door. We call the landlord get their answering service. They refer us to the Health Dept who says they won't come and catch him but they need him to be tested for rabies. So they wanted us to deliver him. Meanwhile I'm concerned about getting him out! So she also gives me the name of someone who will charge $50 to come and do the job.

I call the answering service back, they get through to the maintenance who says we have to wait until they come on duty (8 am and contact their pest control) because they won't pay the $50. So you are telling me I have to sit for 3 hours with that thing in a room if I don't want to pay. And no we don't have open windows or doors here. All I could think of is the basement.

But when I am speaking with the maintenance guy and telling him I don't know how this happened, he abruptly cuts me off to say he needs to get back to sleep and this will be taken care of when they come on duty.

I mean, where should I have even gone from here. I couldn't stand the thought of waiting 3 hours for them. So thank goodness for my brother and nephew. Yes, DS was a bit scared, as we are "city folks" and not used to this.

But when maintenance did come in the a.m. they guy I had spoken with wasn't the one to show up. I feel he just didn't want to be bothered. This was about a week ago, but his actions still bother me. Obviously.

[Donald]

He was probably scared of the bat too!

We had a bat in our house; once we turned on the lights, the bat just froze. We were able to put on some work gloves, and just lift him out of the house. He eventually flew off after a couple of minutes.

We never had a rabies shot, but I also so him fly in when I let the dog out, so I know he was not in the house very long.

[BrerGnat]

Honestly, I would have just called the company and paid the $50. I would have then taken the bill to the landlord and demanded a credit to my next months rent. Since it was after hours, it is really up to you to get rid of it. A bat is hardly a true emergency (not like a plumbing accident or something).

[luvdiznee]

Honestly, I would have just called the company and paid the $50. I would have then taken the bill to the landlord and demanded a credit to my next months rent. Since it was after hours, it is really up to you to get rid of it. A bat is hardly a true emergency (not like a plumbing accident or something).

I wanted to do that but they still didn't want to reimburse me.

[MNNHFLTX]

Having grown up in an area with a lot of bats, we were used to them getting in the house at night every once in a while. All it takes is a little opening--in the attic, through chimneys, around the windows, etc. We would just open the the windows and close the door to the room that the bat was in and eventually they would find their own way out.

Of course, if you're not used to bats I'm sure it was a freaky experience. While the maintenance guy could have been more understanding, I do agree that it probably was not an emergency. However, what I would ask of the apartment manager is a thorough inspection of the building to determine what openings there might be that allowed the bat to get in. Also check the windows in your son's room to make sure there is no gap at the bottom.

Fingers crossed that you have no more bat encounters while you are there.

[diz_girl]

I'm not trying to be alarmist, but did anyone in your family actually come in contact with the bat? If so, then it might be best if they got a rabies shot. Many people have been bitten by a bat and not even realized it because the bat fangs are so small that they didn't feel it.

If the bat had rabies, then waiting to see what happens is a bad idea. They need to get the shot now. Once symptoms of rabies appear, it is too late, as rabies is untreatable by the time that symptoms appear.

I have a friend who had to get the shot because he got bitten by a monkey in Costa Rica. We just call him 'monkey boy' now. He said that the shot wasn't bad, and it was actually a series of four shots now, and not the dozens of shots in the abdomen that I remember hearing about in my youth.

[dnickels]

Growing up on a farm we'd come across bats while moving things in the barn all the time. Once in awhile they'd get in the house, but honestly, I never viewed it as any worse than having a mouse in the house and I can't imagine calling a maintenance company or pest service in the middle of the night to come get a mouse.

Also, I wouldn't freak out about the rabies stuff. Bats don't just sneak down and bite people in the middle of the night. The only way you're going to get bit is if you handle the bat and it tries to defend itself. Even in areas where rabies is endemic, the incidence of rabies in bats is only 0.5% (1 in 200) and if the bat does have rabies it's likely to be clumsy and/or unable to fly (wikipedia).

[MNNHFLTX]

Also, I wouldn't freak out about the rabies stuff. Bats don't just sneak down and bite people in the middle of the night. The only way you're going to get bit is if you handle the bat and it tries to defend itself. Even in areas where rabies is endemic, the incidence of rabies in bats is only 0.5% (1 in 200) and if the bat does have rabies it's likely to be clumsy and/or unable to fly (wikipedia).

Right, and you're more likely to see it flying around during daylight hours, which is not normal for healthy bats.

[luvdiznee]

Having grown up in an area with a lot of bats, we were used to them getting in the house at night every once in a while. All it takes is a little opening--in the attic, through chimneys, around the windows, etc. We would just open the the windows and close the door to the room that the bat was in and eventually they would find their own way out.

Of course, if you're not used to bats I'm sure it was a freaky experience. While the maintenance guy could have been more understanding, I do agree that it probably was not an emergency. However, what I would ask of the apartment manager is a thorough inspection of the building to determine what openings there might be that allowed the bat to get in. Also check the windows in your son's room to make sure there is no gap at the bottom.

Fingers crossed that you have no more bat encounters while you are there.

Thank you for that. Being that we lived in the "city" and never dealt with this before, it was quite and experience. And a different maintenance guy did come and do a once over to check for openings.

I'm not trying to be alarmist, but did anyone in your family actually come in contact with the bat? If so, then it might be best if they got a rabies shot. Many people have been bitten by a bat and not even realized it because the bat fangs are so small that they didn't feel it.

If the bat had rabies, then waiting to see what happens is a bad idea. They need to get the shot now. Once symptoms of rabies appear, it is too late, as rabies is untreatable by the time that symptoms appear.

I have a friend who had to get the shot because he got bitten by a monkey in Costa Rica. We just call him 'monkey boy' now. He said that the shot wasn't bad, and it was actually a series of four shots now, and not the dozens of shots in the abdomen that I remember hearing about in my youth.

Wow, sorry to hear about that. But thank goodness he only flew over my sons head. Then my son ran for cover!

I guess too that's why I wouldn't understand its not an emergency...RABIES???

[DisneyDog]

I have nothing to add, but I just wanted to say that you are the 2nd person in one week that has had this happen to her. And the other one was a woman with two teenage boys as well. Very strange coincidence.

[Dznygrl79]

This has happened to me before, we live in an attic apartment so maybe we are just more prone to having them, and while yes they are scarey if it happens put on work gloves, turn on the lights, trap them in one room, scoop them into a small container and send them back on their way. Remember they are attracted to noise and are more likely way more frightened about being trapped. As far as the apartment maintenance poor over your lease and state landlord code so if anything like this happens in the future you can have a weapon of sorts if this type of thing is covered.

[AvaNellMouse]

I live next to a few small lakes and have bats that visit my backyard every night during the summer. It is fun to take guests out on the patio to relax into the sunset and watch their reaction when they realize they aren't birds.

As fun as being in the bat's environment may be, I would be really unhappy if they moved into the house. You handled things as well as you could. I bet you and the kids will end up making fun of what happened and having a good laugh about it. Until then, you are brave and your landlord's maintenance person is not. You rock!

[PirateLover]

I just wanted to say I don't blame you. I know DH and I would be freaking out if there was a bat in our apartment!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

OMG! I would have freaked out too! I can't sleep if I know there's a mouse in the house. Yuck.

[luvdiznee]

Just to give a quick update, since between our trip to DC & school starting I "almost" forgot about this. But I did talk with the landlord about this, and he told me that he "wished that the maintenance guy did have more compassion for the tenants", since I did tell him how he was more interested in getting back to bed while we had a bat in our bedroom! And this is the same maintenance guy who told all the kids to leave the park because a few of them were not acting right. But my landlord did say, too that if I had paid the $50 he would have taken it off my rent. He also said he would speak with the maintenance guy again since "you do pay good rent here and something like this is considered an emergency". I said yes, especially that I have someone from the Health Dept at 5 am talking to me about rabies shots.

This has happened to me before, we live in an attic apartment so maybe we are just more prone to having them, and while yes they are scarey if it happens put on work gloves, turn on the lights, trap them in one room, scoop them into a small container and send them back on their way. Remember they are attracted to noise and are more likely way more frightened about being trapped. As far as the apartment maintenance poor over your lease and state landlord code so if anything like this happens in the future you can have a weapon of sorts if this type of thing is covered.

Thank you for that hopefully I will never have to use them.

As fun as being in the bat's environment may be, I would be really unhappy if they moved into the house. You handled things as well as you could. I bet you and the kids will end up making fun of what happened and having a good laugh about it. Until then, you are brave and your landlord's maintenance person is not. You rock!

Thank you so much for that. I'm just so glad for my brother!

I just wanted to say I don't blame you. I know DH and I would be freaking out if there was a bat in our apartment!

Thank you for understanding as well. Just never had to deal with something like this.

[Mousefever]

It's always freaky to have a small animal in your house that doesn't belong there!

I love bats! They're so good at eating mosquitoes! But I do prefer them outdoors.

Amy