My parents have bats in their airing cupboard

Keep_pedalling

theoretica said:

Bats don't like light much - might be worth trying leaving the bathroom light on and the airing cupboard door open.

That would be illegal, as stated before it is a criminal offence to endanger any bat in the UK.

The fear of rabies here is totally overblown, there has been one case in the UK in recent years and that person had been bitten several times. Bats (at least the ones in the U.K.) only bite if handled and being bitten is the only way rabies can be transmitted. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-health-england-warns-travellers-of-rabies-risk

There is only one proper thing to do and that is get hold of someone from your local bat group

sheramber

sarahandme said:

theoretica said:

Bats don't like light much - might be worth trying leaving the bathroom light on and the airing cupboard door open.

Thanks, I was wondering that myself. 
Or put a bright light in the airing cupboard which is where most of them seemed to be getting into the inside of the property. 
See thats the interesting thing, getting into a loft space is one thing, but then to get actually inside is another thing another isn't it?

Iy is illegal to interfere with   the bats or  their roosting place 

hb2

I mentioned the rabies thing, up-thread, to warn the OP not the handle the bats, not for it to be used as ammunition against them. I thought the thought of rabies might stop them when the knowledge that it was illegal hadn't! 

sarahandme

hb2 said:

I mentioned the rabies thing, up-thread, to warn the OP not the handle the bats, not for it to be used as ammunition against them. I thought the thought of rabies might stop them when the knowledge that it was illegal hadn't! 

Thanks,  but dad and mum both knew or heard bats can give you rabbies. 
And since then I looked it up online, and although cases are rare, its believed they stay rare due to the fact most people are too scared to go near them. 

sarahandme

onwards&upwards said:

Why don't you swap houses with your parents until the bats are gone?  Or try to reassure your mum and help her overcome the fear rather than feeding it?

Thanks,  and we obviously concidered both of those, but there are complications with that. Dad cant make our stairs. Tried reasuring mum but its a phobia at the end of the day, or developed into one anyway. Remember shes 86. Plus where they live is too far from our childrens school. It would just be too many problems to solve.
Plus for the record hubby found yet another one today in mums bathroom sink,  now imagine had that have been her, a shock like that could kill her. 
Dont worry he just left it there and shut the door, but we are still waiting to hear back from the bat specialist in our local area but nothing today so far. 
But how can they climb up the plug hole or fly into the sink if they are babbies? 

Slinky

Seeing that your mum's loo is not in the bathroom, can she not just avoid the bathroom completely and wash at the kitchen sink for the few days until somebody is able to come and deal with the bats?  I know it's not ideal, but I'm sure given her long life, she will have dealt with much worse in her younger days.

sarahandme

Slinky said:

Seeing that your mum's loo is not in the bathroom, can she not just avoid the bathroom completely and wash at the kitchen sink for the few days until somebody is able to come and deal with the bats?  I know it's not ideal, but I'm sure given her long life, she will have dealt with much worse in her younger days.

Thanks, that's what shes having to do at the moment. But given they are finding their way from the airing cupboard to the bathroom even with the cupboard door shut, shes assuming they could get in the toilet if they are under the floor boards. So shes actually getting nervous about using the loo which isnt good. Infact increasingly nervous about going upstairs altogether. These are worrying times for us.

elsien

Slinky said:

Seeing that your mum's loo is not in the bathroom, can she not just avoid the bathroom completely and wash at the kitchen sink for the few days until somebody is able to come and deal with the bats?  I know it's not ideal, but I'm sure given her long life, she will have dealt with much worse in her younger days.

Already suggested.
And ignored. 

sarahandme

elsien said:

Slinky said:

Seeing that your mum's loo is not in the bathroom, can she not just avoid the bathroom completely and wash at the kitchen sink for the few days until somebody is able to come and deal with the bats?  I know it's not ideal, but I'm sure given her long life, she will have dealt with much worse in her younger days.

Already suggested.
And ignored. 

Not sure what you mean ignored, shes having to that already. But as explained shes getting more and more uneasy about going upstairs altogether now. She's assuming one might find its way into the toilet. 

onwards&upwards

sarahandme said:

onwards&upwards said:

Why don't you swap houses with your parents until the bats are gone?  Or try to reassure your mum and help her overcome the fear rather than feeding it?

Plus for the record hubby found yet another one today in mums bathroom sink,  now imagine had that have been her, a shock like that could kill her. 

No it couldn't, being overdramatic doesn't help the situation, you'll only be making your mum feel worse.