Bats in the attic and feeling alone

White Crane

We live in a big two and a half story house that is over a hundred years old.  There are bats in the attic...again.  We have battled with this for more than twenty years.  Bats have batbugs.  These are similar to bedbugs and can end up in people's beds.  That is exactly what has happened...again...and I am the one getting bit!  I called a pest control company and they are going to come on Saturday to start getting rid of the bats.  Bats are a protected species so they can't harm them.  The cost for this is $1,900.00.  We have the money but I feel so alone in all this.  With DH the way he is, I have to lie and tell him it's going to cost $35.00 and he thinks that is too much!  I miss having my husband to help make decisions and to reassure me that Im doing the right thing.  I'm also alone in getting rid of any batbugs in our bedroom.  I am the only one they bite.  The bite on my leg caused a reaction and turned into a large red welt that hurt and itched and took over a week to heal.  Now there is a welt on my forehead.  The bats will be taken care of and I will deal with buying the bug bombs for the bedroom and washing the bedding in hot water and bleach.  I will go all this while trying to keep a smile on my face for DH and continue cooking and cleaning and everything else while playing rummy for two hours with DH most afternoon so he doesn't get too bored.  And I will take him outside to sit for awhile while I cut weeds and trim branches.  I will do all this and more but my eyes are brimming with unshed tears and I miss having my life partner to share with and to help me.  Thanks for listening.

ButterflyWings

(((White Crane))) oh no! You poor thing. How much are we supposed to handle and all at once, really?  And I so know what you mean about managing without our life partner and the extra pain that awareness causes. Right there with you.

Dementia caregivers should be a protected species too!

toolbeltexpert

Wc I have to say I never heard of this but that is terrible. I am sorry your the one now having to make all the decisions, it really is comforting when a couple makes the decisions together and now your lacking that support. I will say it,YOU'RE  DOING A GREAT JOB WC. I totally agree with BW we should be a protected species if someone thinks that bats should be protected they should pony up the bucks. Now that I said that I wonder if wildlife resources has anything they can do?

Jeff86

I feel for you, White Crane.   We also live in a large 2 1/2 story, 100+ year old house, and last year we had two species of squirrels in the attic.

 
Maintaining an older home is a lot of work, and not being able to share the load is one of the significant losses we experience as caregivers.  I know you can handle this, but it comes with the sad reality that it’s one more manifestation of how alone we are. 

MaryG123

We had an 1860’s era home in upstate NY that we loved, but it became a burden when my husband could no longer help maintain it.  One of the best decisions we made was selling it and moving into a small single level newish cottage in the South.  The whole process was extremely difficult and stressful, but completely worth it in the long run.  He doesn’t have the triggers from that house, and I can handle keeping up our new home.  There were squirrels in our attic that sounded like they were bowling with the walnuts they stored up there.  Best wishes to you!

Ed1937

Like you don't have enough to worry about. Now it's bats and bat bugs! With all the technology we have, it seems like they could stop them from getting in. I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

M1

Brenda I can really empathize.  They're not in our attic (that was the flying squirrels), but they are all over the rafters:  my partner built the farmhouse with "Texas-style" eaves all around that are ideal for roosting, and when you live in the woods, it's just open house.  It looks like Carlsbad Caverns around here at dusk and dawn.  I know they are beneficial for insects, but the guano on the driveway is a problem and more than just cosmetic:  there are occasional reports of rabies transmission without bites, so it worries me.  Short of putting wire up around all the rafters, there's no solution, and the cost would be prohibitive.  I mask up when I hose down the driveway.  We've twice had bats just fly in the front door (once during a dinner party, which was fun).

Good luck, I hope they can successfully (and permanently) mitigate.

David J

White Crane, I’m sorry you have to deal with all this by yourself. I’ve never heard of bat bugs, but they sound nasty! 

I have had bats flying around in the house a few times. Once, when my wife was in mid stage 4, I woke up to her happily telling me we had a visitor. Then I was buzzed by a bat flying low over the bed. Chased bat down the stairs, then opened the front door and proceed to herd it towards the open door. As I came around the corner, there is my wife in the doorway waving her arms at the bat, who of course is not going out that door, and flues back upstairs. I asked (yelled) WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Her answer? Guarding the door!  Half an hour later I got the bat out through a bedroom window. I have no idea how the bat got in, and I have not found any evidence of their living inside. 

Good luck with the pest control and bug bombs. You got this!