I was talking to the local game and fish yesterday and he told me that he had a bat job for me to do. A guy he knows has around 50 bats in his shop and he wants me to come get them. My plan is to go catch them during the day then relocate them. The question is will they go back to where i caught them if i turn them loose. I plan on bringing them here to my place which is about 10 miles away. If not im not sure where to take them.i have looked online at bat information and realy cant find anything on them about this.what do you guys do with bats when ou get a job to take them out of a place?I realy enoy watching them fly aorund at dusk and they realy help with the mosquitos. they are protected so killing them is out of the question.

There is limited documentation of bat returns after relocation. However from my experience and others I have spoken with regarding this, it would be safe to say that 10 miles typically would not be a challenge for that colony of bats to return to their established roost site within a few days.

Being migratory by nature, flying a few miles doesnt pose a problem of returning for them.You better seal the building or they will be back shortly most likely.

Deputy franks, take bobs advice and follow good bat
exclusion protocol. If you can see them all in the attic or space
and there arent still pups unable to fly, you can look at
excluding. Handling and trapping bats can be avoided and
is by most bat excluders.

One question, how long have they been there and
what is the primary issue.

I'd talk more to guys that do this exclusion work
professionally. No need to trap or handle and relocation
is rarely studied as mentioned, mostly because it
Is poor wildlife management to relocate wildlife without
knowing the repercussions.

This is often debated, but in my humble opinion
it shouldn't be done.

Be glad to visit with you over the phone as I'm sure
others would as well.

Justin

Send me a pm with your phone number if you'd like to
visit.

X2. You want to do a proper job for your client and relocating is not the proper job. Your goal as a WCO is that they NEVER have a bat issue again. That gives you a good name.
Our TWRA does not condone this practice and they know I exclude therefore they forward work to me. Good luck

Deputy Frank feel free to call me I trap bat. I would say 1 out of 5 calls And even at that I try to talk that 1 customer into just excluding. I have gotten a lot of flak from others on this sight about that. But in most cases they are not allowed to even Handel bat in there state. here in Michigan we can . So first make sure you are allowed to Handel then. (989) 358-8108

Bats fly just fine in the day lite so if your thinking just because it's day time there not going to just hang there and let you grab them up . You will get a few but once they start talking the jig is up and I've had them dive bomb my face doing that same thing . If you place a excluder tube over there hole and then hang a pillow case over your tub . You will get every single one . Just as live as you and me . Weather you relocate and they come back or not more bats will just come . Letting people talk you into things you know will not work is just stupid and comes back on you in a bad way . When that place fills back with bats it's you there going to be saying falled . As fare as bats eating Mosquitos that's just a myth . Go get yourself a hand full of bat crap and dig threw it and then take your loupe and look inside and look at what they really eat . Bats are nasty animals that Carey bat bugs . Bat bugs are a form of bed bugs . Both move into your house . Both can go years without feed . They both will feed on your kids . I just ran into a major bat bug infestation where a little girl had bat bugs feeding on her for six months . Many trips to the doctors . She keep braking out in hives . Finally found out its bed bugs but then finding a monster colony of bats living in bedroom wall now it's looking like its been bat bugs along . Next time you run into a pestcontrol guy ask him about bat bugs he will have know idea what your talking about . Bring bats back to your houses is a major mistake . I've been feed on myself by these nasty bugs and it's not a good feeling . there's only one simple way to deal with bats . Fix the holes in a way that birds and rodents won't open the holes back up and place a one way door out . If you wish to be the bat guy working your area that's how it's done . If you miss one single little hole there was no point of doing it at all . You need to spot future holes as well . Don't let people talk you into doing any less because it will just come back on you . Bat work is real simple you show up do the compleat exclusion . Warranty real simple they don't have bats anymore . We all know it's going to rain and freeze and the wind will blow so the exclusion should hold up to weather .

Pesky, guess what? Bats do eat mosquitos. Don't take my word for it; ask anyone who lives on a lake and has bats. Or better yet, taste some of those bat droppings. Can you taste the blood? See, I told you so!

Even if you take them far enough away that they don't come back if you don't do the exclusion some more bats will find the shop. To solve the problem you have to do the exclusion. Besides being easier on the bat if you exclude them they check your work. If after a week you still have bats you know your job is not done. On the entenet, here, bat conservation international, Robb Russells wildlife pro network, nwcoa.info there is plenty of info on how to do it.
If it's your first bat job I would consider hiring a friendly wco that has done it to help you. If you don't know anyone you need to make some more friends. Some people call it networking I call it making friends.
If you must relocate pesky's idea is a cheap one that will work for catching them.
All this advice from everyone is moot if you are talking about an open shop area then you are going to have to haze and or habitat modification.

relocate a bat ?

Don't bats fly?

The trouble with using the pillowcase, is they they are not all going to exit like a few blind mice with wings. You will get some....but others will shy away. The ones in the pillowcase will tell their friends....they communicate just like dolphins ya know.

Sure they eat mosquitoes....some species eat fish. Mosquitoes are a tough catch for them...since the little buggers tend to populate close to the ground in the brush. Beetles and moths are a staple for the micro bats in the US. But, hey can anyone tell you what to eat?

I live in the St. Louis area and can do a guaranteed bat removal and exclusion for you. Have a nephew in Little Rock.
Anything less than a complete-structure removal and exclusion is a waste of time. Don't even waste your time trying to catch and relocate.

If you want to learn about bat bugs: : http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2105a.html

So why haven't I heard about the pillow case method before today? Are you guys holding out on me? And what size pillow case. Twin, Queen, or King? What about color? White, blue, what the heck, there are all kinds of colors. Not to mention material. Silk, velvet, knit, maybe flannel in the cold climates; Do they need to be embroidered? Lots of unanswered questions on pillowcase bats!

I dunno - see what kinda selection WCS has for bat pillowcases. I understand they're carrying the Martha Stewart Collection, and undoubtedly a camo version.

You have to use the batman collection.

thanks guys for all the advise. I take it all in. One, i am the only one in the county or the surrounding counties as far as i know. So no one close to help on the bat job. yes it will be my first bat job. I havent been to the site yet, the guy is suposed to cal me on monday. From what ive been told it is an open bay shop for the most part with a drop ceiling covering the majority of the shop.From what i can tell about the sitation there is a frop ceiling with a 2" pvc pipe coming down from the top. A small hole where the pipe comes down out of the ceiling. in the heat of the day they come down the pipe to cool off laying close together next to the pipe all along it.I asked the question about relocation becouse i realy just didnt know much about bats. We are alowed to handle them per the AG&F officer here as long as i dont hurt them.I ask for advise so that i will do the job right before i go out to the site.Hoping to be more knowlageable of the job at hand so that i can make a good name for my self. I do thank all of you for the responses.

LAtrapper thanks alot for those links. I now know that bat removal and relocation is not the answer. I do apriciate you taking the time to let me see those and not just giving snide remarks, telling me im dumb, telling me that i will bring discrace to the ADC work and others in the line of work. It realy helps me alot more when some one can help an individual out that has no clue to what they are doing and asks those who have done it before and for many years.I come to this site to ask questions when i need help. Im not to proud to ask. I am pretty knowlageable on alot of trapping but sometimes i get into things where i dont have a clue or get stumped. I dont post alot on this site becouse of the scrutiny that people recieve on some of there posts.sometimes though i just need to ask and wade through it all.

I thought you asked a good question and got some good advice maybe a little sarcasm. LA is very good at referring links and finding things. I think you are ready to do the job just don't sell yourself short. It's a lot of work to do it right and you shouuld get paid good for a good job.