Bat infestation under roof will give you a major case of the heebie-jeebies

By: Will Goodman
Topics: FAIL!

(CBS) - Remember that scene in "Batman Begins" where Bruce Wayne encounters a ton of bats as a child, develops a phobia and later becomes the Batman due to his fear of them? Yeah, this video is a lot like that, but totally real. Do not watch if you have a phobia of bats.

I seriously got goosebumps seeing that clip. The video was captured by Istueta Roofing in Miami who write:

Our crew is in for a surprise when they begin the tear off process of our clients' old roof and hundreds of bats come flying out from underneath the tiles!

And just like that, I've developed a slight fear of bats and a major mistrust of roofs. Go figure. But in all seriousness, I really do hope the little guys find a new home. So what did you think of this caught-on-tape moment? Feel free to leave me some of your thoughts and experiences below.

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by erasmus111 April 6, 2012 5:42 PM EDT

We had bats once. The only reason we knew they were there is because a few of them came down the chimney, into the basement. The first time we thought it was just an accident, but then it happened again. We were told that bats have good radar and the only reason they would come down the chimney is if they were sick and had lost their radar. So that made us think they may have rabies. We checked the attic, but they weren't there, and we also went outside and watched the chimney, just before dark, and still didn't see any actually coming out. When we were sitting in the yard, though, there were bats flying around. We just didn't know where they were coming from. Then one day I was standing outside beside the chimney, talking to a neighbour, and one flew out and almost hit me. There was a very tiny hole in between some bricks that it came from. They say that they can fit through a hole the size of a dime.

The first bat that came in, I found the cat playing with it. We sent the bat off to Alberta to see if it had rabies, but they couldn't tell because my husband had crushed it's head. (That is how they tell if it has rabies.) So, because they couldn't tell, we had to put the cat into quarantine in our basement for 6 months. The second time it happened, my daughter was sleeping downstairs and heard some scratching in the fireplace (it was blocked by some cardboard). By the time she got upstairs to get me and we went back down, the bat had gotten out into the room. It's a good thing it didn't get in there while she was sleeping because then she would have had to have rabies shots.

How we got rid of them was someone came and put these things on that have shutes and it allows the bats to leave, but they can't get back in. Then after a period of time, they came and put wire barriers on the chimney and the other spot. They waited to put the shutes on until they knew there were no babies. It's against the law to kill bats.

It was fun times! : )

I can't believe all the bats that came out from those roof tiles! I don't know why they wouldn't have heard that. I think we only had a few.

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by Quiet_R_Bear April 6, 2012 6:22 PM EDT: Not only heard but smelled. The Guano must have been very smelly, much like ammonia.


by mijomar-2009 April 6, 2012 5:38 PM EDT: several comments reflect the fact that bats are one of the critters we cannot do without, especially their waste products which of course is 'guano'. I would hope that where ever this event took place, the powers that 'be' will make some effort to provide for a new survival scheme for these displaced bats.

Several regions in the U.S. and around the world are experiencing an unprecedented decline in bats due to a seemingly irrepresible fatal fungal disease, so any healthy population of bats should be appreciated and protected since their service as consumint insect control agents, are invaluable.; Reply to this comment


by jeanannd April 6, 2012 5:17 PM EDT: Poor little bats. Must be a ton of mosquitoes around there for them to eat. If it were my home and that happened, I'd tell the workers, forget removing the rest of the tiles, put the old ones back and I'll keep the bats to get rid of all the bad insects.; Reply to this comment

by livingtxlife April 6, 2012 4:08 PM EDT

They could have had a wildlife specialist out to help them handle this a little better. Taking the roof apart in the evening would have given them a better survival chance. We have huge bat colonies around here and I can't imagine how the home owners didn't hear them.

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by MiscAdverts April 6, 2012 5:46 PM EDT: I too am wondering if the owner heard them? I've been hearing noises under our roof in the morning... now I'm nervous and have to investigate.


by erasmus111 April 6, 2012 5:48 PM EDT: "Taking the roof apart in the evening would have given them a better survival chance."

Yes, that's what I was thinking. Bats do not see well during the day and with how many there were, I doubt they all found a place to go.


by erasmus111 April 6, 2012 5:51 PM EDT: by MiscAdverts April 6, 2012 5:46 PM EDT
I too am wondering if the owner heard them? I've been hearing noises under our roof in the morning... now I'm nervous and have to investigate.

Make sure you wear a mask when you investigate because their poop is deadly if you breath it in. And if there are a lot of bats, you need to have someone come in to remove the poop. They will be wearing hazmat suits to do it.


by mama_leisa April 6, 2012 12:35 PM EDT: I am from Vermont and it gives me great hope to see so many healthy bats. We have lost many of our brown bats to a disease. Without bats there are more mosquitoes, black flies . I hope they all remain healthy and plentyful,.; Reply to this comment


by gnu57 April 6, 2012 12:28 PM EDT: Poor lil' things! I would have loved to have bats at my house in FL to deal with the bugs. Perhaps not that many, but a few would have been great. I'm sure they'll find a new place to roost, but I'd be willing to bet that the homeowner is going to miss their free insect control if it's very far away.; Reply to this comment


by earthmom56 April 6, 2012 10:22 AM EDT: Yes, I hope they find another safe place to roost. Amazing, though, that the residents of the home never noticed any bats flying around to become suspicious of where they might be roosting. Surely they weren't hibernating...; Reply to this comment

by TTGRoxanne April 6, 2012 8:56 AM EDT

Poor guys. You just witnessed their home being destroyed. Rather than being threatening, bats are smart, helpful creatures. We've built several elaborate bat houses at our farm, hoping to entice them to take up residence and help take care of the grounds (they're amazing when it comes to eating mosquitoes). They sleep together in clusters and apparently found the space under the roof tiles to suit their needs. Hope they found another home. If not, come to Illinois!

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