Upon purchasing our farmhouse a few weeks ago, we didn’t realize we would be sharing it with…BATS! Yes, you read that right – bats. When we first started seeing them fly out at sundown each night to feed, we were fascinated and somewhat intrigued by the idea of having bats. I thought “how cute, we have bats”. The bats were our welcoming committee to the country.

After doing some research, I discovered that having bats living in the walls or attic spaces of your home isn’t cute or fascinating or healthy. Their urine and droppings also known as “guano” is very toxic if it is absorbed into insulation of your attic. Although our little guys weren’t living in our attic, they were taking up residence behind our exterior wood siding and their droppings will eventually rot the wood. Not good. Not fascinating. Not healthy.

Since some species of bats are a protected, we sought a professional to help with our unwanted guests. His name is “Batman” and that’s not a joke. He really goes by Batman. It can’t getting any better than that, right?

Batman surveyed the exterior of our home, checking for crevices the bats would want to enter after being kicked out of their current home. He then filled the desirable crevices with foam inserts. The last step of Batman’s mission at Cypress Bayou Farm was installing soft screens that allowed the bats to exit their sleeping quarters but prevented them to return home.

As we watched the bats dropping at sundown, I realized they would be confused and ultimately homeless by the following morning.

That hard truth made my heart a little sad. Just add it to the pot of lessons learned since buying the farm.

Next week I will share the other wave of our welcoming committee….the drywood termite.

Come wander with me…