Bats Invade Local Homes, Hot Weather & Mosquito Spraying Blamed
BROOKLINE (CBS) - The hot weather and spraying for mosquitoes is apparently responsible for a growing number of bats finding their way into homes.
Brookline has had 25 emergency calls for bats this month.
Lauren Pina was one of those calls. She found a bat in her room Thursday night.
"I am definitely worried about possibly having rabies. I am not sure if it touched me while I was sleeping," she told WBZ-TV.
Lauren says she woke up in the middle of the night because she was hot. When she went to check on her three guinea pigs she found quite a surprise in their cage.
"I looked closely and there was a bat curled up at the bottom of the cage. So I trapped it as well as I could and moved the animals out," she said.
Brockton is another community seeing an influx of bats. Last week, a police officer was bitten by one.
Brockton Animal Control reports handling 19 calls for bats in homes since August 1.
Roger Thomas of Baystate Wildlife says he's been busy all over the state.
"(Thursday) night, I started at 7:30 p.m.; and it's 3 p.m. now. I have had 15 to 20 houses today in Gloucester, here in Brookline, and up to Newton," Thomas said.
Experts say young bats are leaving the nest around this time of year.
The hot and humid weather is sending them inside searching for cooler areas.
Another factor is the fewer mosquitoes because of spraying for EEE.
Bats searching for food are making their way indoors as well.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports on a man who bat-proofs homes in Mass.
Podcast
Because of the risk of rabies, if you do find a bat in your home, health officials urge caution.
"The most important message is that if someone finds a bat in their home, not to let it out if there is a possibility if they have been exposed," Dr. Alan Balsam, Brookline's Director of Public Health and Human Services said.
Bats can be hard to spot, which why people need to make sure their chimneys are covered correctly and window screens and air conditioners are sealed tight.
