Bats are some of nature's most fascinating and versatile animals. Read below for stories of bats in the news, or click here for information on bat characteristics and bat removal.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF OUR OWN JASON SUTTON REMOVING BATS FROM A HOME! COURTESY OF WZZM NEWS.
Bat gets loose on plane (8/15/11)
While transportation authorities are working feverishly to reduce the potential for terrorists to gain access to commercial flights, a terrorist of another kind caused havoc on Delta flight 5121 out of Madison, Wisconsin last week. About fifteen minutes after take off, a bat suddenly appeared in the cabin and flew back and forth over passenger's heads, to their understandable discomfort. A passenger (who is being described as a "hero") chased the bat to the rear of the plane and locked it in a bathroom to the cheers of other passengers. The plane was compelled to return to the airport, but when technicians examined the bathroom they found that the bat had vanished.
As airport maintenance staff searched the plane, however, a bat flew out and into the terminal, he said. From there, workers coaxed it out to freedom. The flight was delayed several hours because of the bat. “The bat created a bit of entertainment for our early morning passengers as maintenance crew members with a large net ushered it outside," said one airline spokesman.
Creature control helps Sand Lake family with bat problem
When a Sand Lake, MI. family's insurance company refused to help cover costs associated with a severe bat infestation in the attic, Creature Control came to the rescue, providing bat eviction for the family at no charge! This video, by WZZM news out of Grand Rapids, reveals the damage bats are capable of doing in an attic and demonstrates how our bat eviction and bat exclusion process works. This is an excellent video for anyone interested in our company or with questions about bat work.
Rabid bat bites Grand Rapids woman? (6/27/11)
The bat news out of Grand Rapids this month is an allegedly rabid bat that bit a Kentwood woman in her home. According to MLive.com, the woman flipped on her bedroom light and saw what at first looked like a “big bird” flying at her. She grabbed a fly swatter to fend off the attacking bat and on the third swat, it fell to the floor before shooting back up and latching onto her neck, leaving two staple-looking marks below her left ear.
Many have been presuming that the bat was rabid because of its aggression, though until testing is complete on the animal, we can't be certain. Creature Control bat removal professional Jason Sutton has his suspicions about the bat being truly rabid: "Every report we hear on this is talking about rabid bats, but nobody is discussing the test results, just that the woman got shots and vaccinations for bat bites. Rabies tests are always positibe or negative; there is no in between. Just because a bat may bite does not mean it is rabid."
Creature Control has a very precise process we go through when we believe we may be dealing with a rabid bat. Jason explains: "Creature Control bat removal technicians first capture and remove the bats from the customer's property and places them in a bite proof container. They are then handed over to the health department for testing. Later, the health department sends us the results; that's the way it goes every time. Why is there no mention of confirmed results in this story? We don't want to frighten people about rabid bats if it is not necessary."
Jason goes on to explain that the vast majority of bats handled are not rabid: "Out of the thousands of bats we have removed, only a very tiny fraction were rabid. In all the years Creature Control has been providing bat control and bat exclusion services, we have only removed two rabid bats from customers homes; neither of these cases was in the greater Grand Rapids area." The biggest damage caused by bats, especially bats in the attic, is damage to insulation done by guano (droppings); rarely do bats attack humans.
Michigan bats seem safe from White Nose Syndrome - for now (6/22/11)
The DNR has recently concluded a study of 24 known hibernation sites for bats throughout the state and has declared that the dreaded fungal disease known as White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has not made any inroads among the Michigan bat population, for the time being. It was feared that the disease, which came from Europe via Canada, would decimate michigan's bat population, as it has already decimated the endangered Indiana bat (which hibernates in the Grand Rapids-Manistee area). All of Michigan's bats are at risk, including the little brown bat, the big brown bat, the tri-colored bat, and the northern long-eared bats, but especially the cave-dwelling bats who hibernate together where the disease is easily spread.
Farmers, animal removal specialists and conservationists are all gladdened by the news. Creature Control technician Jason Sutton, who handles bat removal in Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas, was quite pleased with the DNR report. "Bats are very important to the local ecosystem. They eat a ton of insects that would otherwise damage crops, so they actually save a lot of money," Sutton said. It is estimated that bats save farmers around $508 million per year by eating insects that could be potentially harmful to agriculture.
Despite the good news, all of our bats are still at risk, as there is no reason the disease could not spread into our bat populations. Wildlife control personnel and the DNR will be monitoring the development and spread of this disease very closely.
To learn more about WNS and Michigan's bats, click here or here.
Animal control professionals concerned about spread of white-nosed syndrome in Michigan bats (11/7/10)
The city of Grand Rapids, MI. is taking note of the devastating effects of the white-nosed syndrome in bats. White-nosed syndrome is a deadly fungal disease that is currently spreading out of control in Michigan's bat population. Victor Skinner of the Grand Rapids Press reports that officials in Lansing are giving considerable attention to the issue as more than one million bats have fallen victim to this epidemic to date.
Unlike rabies, white-nosed syndrom cannot be transferred to humans via human-bat interaction; in fact, humans are not susceptible to the fungus at all. This does not mean that the threat can be taken lighlty, however. The continued spread of the disease could cause a significant reduction in the bat population, which in turn would have untold economic, regulatory, and ecological effects.
Bat control and animal removal specialist as well as wildlife rehabilitation centers (also known as "bat rehabilitaters") were among the first to be notified of the fungus. Due to their constant interaction with bats, animal control and pest control firms can play an important part in the fight to reduce the spread of white-nosed syndrome. Wildlife control expert Tim Rea believes that the western portion of the greater grand rapids area is especially susceptible:
"Higher concentration of bats in areas such as Holland, MI.,Grand Haven., MI, and Muskegon have been reported during our regular bat control service operations. This is due to an overabundance of flying insects in the greater Grand Rapids area. Western Michigan in general provides excellent waterside breeding habitats for the local bat colonies. High humidity in these shoreline regions also contribute to the problem, since the fungal disease spreads faster in bats found hibernating in humid areas. Customers reporting wildlife control problems in Grand Rapids and Holland, MI. noticed bats demonstrating erratic behavior, such as flying out of control and roosting in broad daylight during the winter. In Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven, bats with signs of scarring and disfigurement have been reported by both local clients and wildlife control technicians working in the area."
All the irregularities mentioned above are common side affects found in bats suffering from the white-nose syndrome disease. Please see our blog post here for more on white-nose syndrome.
Consumer's Energy discusses building tower north of Muskegon to study bat migration (3/11/09)
Consumer's Energy is seeking permission to build a tower north of Muskegon that would study bat vocalizations, hoping to identify whether or not there are any endangered Indiana bats in the region. The tower is part of a preliminary environmental analysis that must be completed before the utility company can place wind turbines in the area.
The tower would use an acoustic device to record bat sounds for up to two years. The tower is being put up over concerns that wind turbines are a danger to bat populations. Every year many bats are killed at wind turbines, some by striking blades, but a good deal of them from something called
barotrauma, fatal internal hemorrhaging due to sudden changes in air pressure that bats experience when they fly in close proximity to wind turbines. Unlike birds, the lungs of the bat less rigid and not able to endure rapid changes in air pressure. The sudden drop in pressure that bats experience as they get close can cause their lungs to rupture, causing death.
This is of especial concern north of Muskegon, where some are worried about the potential for the turbines to do damage to the already declining population of Indiana bats that are believed to be in the area. If the study of bat vocalizations proves that there are no endangered Indiana bats in the area, the company will most likely be able to go ahead and build its wind turbines. The project is of great concern to residents, wildlife control professionals, bat conservationists and utilities officials alike.
Rabid bats found in West Michigan (8/20/08)
A woman in west Michigan found several dying bats on her property. One of the bats she prodded with a stick she saw to be foaming at the mouth. The woman caught the bat in a jar and took it to the health department to be tested for rabies. Since then, she has found even more dying bats around her property. This has resulted in a rabies scare in western Michigan, though authorities and animal removal professionals say there is no cause for alarm. See the original story here.
Third bat tests positive for rabies in Muskegon County (8/10/07)
In case you wondered whether the idea of bats carrying rabies was just an urban legend, we can look back to 2007 when three rabid bats were found in Muskegon County alone. Health officials say the bats were all found in the same area - specifically, Muskegon's Lakeside neighborhood, which is across the street from the Cross-Lake Ferry. The Muskegon County Health Department sent the three bats to Lansing to be tested. In each case the rabid bats were found inside the homes of residents. Though the residents do not believe they have been bitten, they received treatment for rabies anyhow, due to the possibility that they were bitten and did not realize it (wildlife control professionals say that this it is very unlikely that a person could be bitten by a bat and not realize it, though it cannot be ruled out).
Muskegon County workers believed there could possibly be a colony living somewhere in or near the Lakeside neighborhood, though subsequent investigations by the county and Muskegon animal control professionals did not turn up anything. Nevertheless, county officials reminded residents need to start taking caution. "This is a disease that, once symptoms set in, you're going to die," says Ken Kraus of the Muskegon County Health Dept. "So if people are not aware of what to do it can be very lethal." If you happen to run across a bat, rabid or not, county officials say avoid touching them. If you have to, wear some type of gloves. Also, bat-proof your home by closing any openings larger than a quarter inch, since bats can get in through chimneys, vents, and even loose shingles. If you are bitten, wash the wound immediately and seek medical help. If you believe you have bats in your home, call a professional animal removal service rather than attempting to remove them yourself (click here for the original story from Channel 13 out of Muskegon).
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