Bats in the Belfry
The other night, night before last I think it was, I set up my tent in the yard and went out there as the sun was going down. I thought that I would sleep out there but then the rain came so I went back in at around 11.
I read a book in the living room for a while but got kind of creeped out for some reason. Maybe it was the giant moths and thousands on tiny bugs crawling on the outside of the window...
Anyhow, I decided to go up to bed.
Since I was feeling a little nervous I took the flashlight with me. I did not turn on any lights until I got into the bedroom. I stood in the middle of the room, reached up, and turned on the light. I saw dark shadows swarming around the room, going around and around.
It turned out that there were two bats in there, circling the light right at head level.
I got the hell out of there. Ducked and ran. One of them followed me out into the hall but then went back in to circle the light some more.
I grabbed a pair of shorts and stood in the doorway for a little while, watching them and trying to decide what to do. When they got close to the door I flapped the shorts. I wanted to keep them in the room.
I decided to open the windows and hope that they would go out but to do that I had to go back across the room. They were flying up near the ceiling for the most part so I decided to crawl. The thought of them landing in my hair really creeped me out so I put a clear plastic bag that my comforter came in over my head and crawled over to the window. I tried to pretend that they were not there. I got both windows up and then crawled back out as fast as I could.
Of course as soon as the windows were open a swarm of moths, mosquitoes, and tiny flies came in. But soon enough, while I was watching from the doorway while flapping my shorts, one of the bats went right out the window. The other one kept circling though and I was a little worried he would start enjoying the abundant supply of bugs and not want to leave. I turned away from the door, figuring maybe if I gave him some time he would go. When I looked back in I could not see him.
I went in and looked around. The room seemed to be empty of bats so I shut the windows and started to make the bed. Then I saw that he was still in there, perched on the side of the chimney. He was just sitting there, waiting, lurking, hoping I'd get into bed and fall asleep...
I opened the windows again.
He just sat there.
He did not do anything when I lit him up with the flashlight.
I made some noises and his ears twitched a little.
Since he was just sitting there and my camera was only a couple of feet away I decided to take his picture. I tried to keep the flash from going off but it lit up. He still did not seem to care, seemed happy to just sit there.
But I really did not want to go to bed with a bat hanging from the wall. So I decided to try to catch him and put him outside. I went downstairs and got a paper bag. A brown paper bag from the grocery store. When I came back into the room he was still sitting there, perched on the wall head down, clinging to the plaster with his back claws. I opened up the bag and put the open end over him. He did not move at all until the bag was covering him. Then he went kind of bat shit crazy. He flapped around in there and started squeaking and screaming. I could see his little claws clutching at the edge of the bag, trying to get out.
There was an answering cry from inside the chimney. Maybe the rest of the bats would fly back in through the open windows and try to help their friend.
I needed to close the bag but did not want to get my hand near the open end. After a bit the bat settled down. I used the long part of a coat hanger to squeeze the bag shut then carried it to the window.
I tilted the bag out the window and could feel him slide out. I dropped the bag out after him and shut the windows. After that I went and got a roll of duct tape and put a hell of a lot of the stuff over the chimney vents.
I read a book in the living room for a while but got kind of creeped out for some reason. Maybe it was the giant moths and thousands on tiny bugs crawling on the outside of the window...
Anyhow, I decided to go up to bed.
Since I was feeling a little nervous I took the flashlight with me. I did not turn on any lights until I got into the bedroom. I stood in the middle of the room, reached up, and turned on the light. I saw dark shadows swarming around the room, going around and around.
It turned out that there were two bats in there, circling the light right at head level.
I got the hell out of there. Ducked and ran. One of them followed me out into the hall but then went back in to circle the light some more.
I grabbed a pair of shorts and stood in the doorway for a little while, watching them and trying to decide what to do. When they got close to the door I flapped the shorts. I wanted to keep them in the room.
I decided to open the windows and hope that they would go out but to do that I had to go back across the room. They were flying up near the ceiling for the most part so I decided to crawl. The thought of them landing in my hair really creeped me out so I put a clear plastic bag that my comforter came in over my head and crawled over to the window. I tried to pretend that they were not there. I got both windows up and then crawled back out as fast as I could.
Of course as soon as the windows were open a swarm of moths, mosquitoes, and tiny flies came in. But soon enough, while I was watching from the doorway while flapping my shorts, one of the bats went right out the window. The other one kept circling though and I was a little worried he would start enjoying the abundant supply of bugs and not want to leave. I turned away from the door, figuring maybe if I gave him some time he would go. When I looked back in I could not see him.
I went in and looked around. The room seemed to be empty of bats so I shut the windows and started to make the bed. Then I saw that he was still in there, perched on the side of the chimney. He was just sitting there, waiting, lurking, hoping I'd get into bed and fall asleep...
I opened the windows again.
He just sat there.
He did not do anything when I lit him up with the flashlight.
I made some noises and his ears twitched a little.
Since he was just sitting there and my camera was only a couple of feet away I decided to take his picture. I tried to keep the flash from going off but it lit up. He still did not seem to care, seemed happy to just sit there.
But I really did not want to go to bed with a bat hanging from the wall. So I decided to try to catch him and put him outside. I went downstairs and got a paper bag. A brown paper bag from the grocery store. When I came back into the room he was still sitting there, perched on the wall head down, clinging to the plaster with his back claws. I opened up the bag and put the open end over him. He did not move at all until the bag was covering him. Then he went kind of bat shit crazy. He flapped around in there and started squeaking and screaming. I could see his little claws clutching at the edge of the bag, trying to get out.
There was an answering cry from inside the chimney. Maybe the rest of the bats would fly back in through the open windows and try to help their friend.
I needed to close the bag but did not want to get my hand near the open end. After a bit the bat settled down. I used the long part of a coat hanger to squeeze the bag shut then carried it to the window.
I tilted the bag out the window and could feel him slide out. I dropped the bag out after him and shut the windows. After that I went and got a roll of duct tape and put a hell of a lot of the stuff over the chimney vents.