Rabid Bat Found in Pickering Home

Pickering is home to many bats and unfortunately, some of them sometimes end up in people’s homes. This causes plenty of stress and possible health risks for those who live in the home. Bat removal is, therefore, a highly demanded service in Pickering. For one homeowner in Pickering, this need became very apparent in June of 2019 when a rabid bat made its way onto the property.  The owner of the premises, located near Dixie Road and Glenanna Road, removed the animal and delivered it to the Toronto Wildlife Center. Initial test results were inconclusive, but further test results revealed that the bat was indeed rabid. Thankfully though, the illness was not passed on to the animals or human occupants of the home. But the situation served as a strong reminder of the health risks that wildlife intrusion can cause.  This prompted the manager of health protection in the Health Department, Ross MacEachern, to issue a reminder to residents that bats and other wildlife in Pickering can be carriers of rabies. He also urged residents to do their best to avoid contact with these animals and emphasized the importance of having domestic animals vaccinated against rabies. Unfortunately, the bat could not be saved and had to be euthanized by staff at the Toronto Wildlife Center.

Signs of a Bat Intrusion

If a bat is trapped inside your home, you'll hear the light thuds as it bounces into the walls in an attempt to leave. You’ll also hear the flapping of its wings inside.  If the bat has entered to hibernate though, you won’t hear much as it will find a nice secluded dark spot and settle in.

Bat Intrusion-Reactions to Avoid

If you suspect that one or more bats have found their way into your home, try not to panic. Chances are, the poor bat is trying to find a way out as well. If you panic your actions may frighten the bat even more and cause it to become frantic.  The best thing you can do in this situation is trying to coax the bat out or get expert help. If there are no other bats flying around outside you could try opening one window while closing all others in the room the bat is in. This might result in the bat leaving eventually. If the bat has moved in for hibernation purposes it is unlikely to cause much disturbance to the occupants of the home and experts discourage removal during hibernation (which happens in winter) as it may harm the bat’s chances of surviving the winter.  Bats are meant to remain in hibernation throughout the winter as this state allows them to slow down their metabolic processes thereby saving the energy they have stored up for the winter. When hibernation is disrupted this process is also disrupted which means bats may be forced to hunt for food or starve. If you are anxious to remove a bat from your home, you may be tempted to use one of the following DIY bat removal strategies. Unfortunately, these strategies do not work and some of them are harmful to the bats. Some people believe that shining a bright light at the bat will get it to leave. This is not true, however. In fact, the opposite is true as the bright light will actually confuse the bat or attract it towards the source, which means you may end up with the bat flying towards you- not exactly a pleasant situation if you suffer from bat phobia! Ultrasonic noise and mothballs don’t work either. And they are even less effective if the bat that has moved in is nursing. The bat’s maternal instinct will kick in and she will remain steadfast in her new safe haven despite the smell of mothballs or the sounds introduced.

Bat’s Aren’t Public Enemy Number One!

Essentially, therefore, a bat that is inside your home has no intention to harm you or anyone else inside the building. Those stories of bats being malicious bloodsucking fiends are just that… stories. Those tales are designed for entertainment purposes but unfortunately some people have misinterpreted them as facts. The truth is that a bat in your home either got there by following its survival instincts to find a safe space to live or by accident.

Expert Bat Intervention

Expert intervention is your best option when you need bat removal services for your Pickering property and Skedaddle is ready and equipped to offer that service. We can get bats out safely and reintroduce them to safe habitats where they can thrive without coming into conflict with human settlements. Skedaddle offers thorough bat exclusion services which include detailed sealing of current and potential access points to ensure that bats will stay out.