? About Bats and Vaccinating Children

I have the same problem what kind of thing can you recamed as far has getting rid of the bats i have lots of hole in my house and land lord wont take care of it so im on my own any help you can give me would be asome for i have a one mounth at home and had a good scare the other day one was in my kitchen and i was putting milk in my daughter bottle because i pump and i was holding her and felt somthing tapping my foot and i was steping on the bats wing and it freeked me out i tell ya help if wont to call ###-###-####

When I was growing up we had bats also. My father put screening over the chimeny to prevent the bats from coming in. It worked! I really don't know about any vaccination against bat bites. Good Luck.

I don't know about vaccinations, but I wanted to tell you, get one of those sonic wall plugs. actually, I would get quite a few. We kept hearing rustling in the walls especially at night, and it was getting worse and worse. We had people come out to look and all they did was put out glue traps, which by the way, nothing ever happened with. We had one of those sonic things in the garage to keep out field mice, so on a chance I put it in the outlet on the wall where we heard the noises. It stopped that night. I called the pest control people to tell them we didn't need them anymore, and they said that if that worked that quick, it was probably bats. Anyways, just thought I'd pass that on.

K.,
I would say RELAX about the bats. There has yet to be a rabid bat in the Upper Peninsula. (I took a bat workshop and learned that a few years ago.) Rabies shots are very painful from what I've been told (my cousin had to endure them after he was bit by a random dog in Chicago), so I am guessing that you wouldn't want to put your baby through it. They probably wouldn't give them to a baby unless they were bit anyway.
M.

Have you thought about putting up a bat house in your yard to encourage the bats to live there rather than in your house? They are a handy animal to have around as they eat the bugs that bother us in summer. I agree with what someone else said, outside they don't bother me, in the house is another matter. We have lived in an old house for many years (13) and bats have been a problem for us as well, but not once has a bat ever bitten any of us. Talk to your pediatrician about your concerns. Rabies shots aren't as bad as they used to be. The injections are now given at the bite site rather than in the belly as they used to be and if you are able to catch the bat that bit (they rarily bite being more afraid of us than we are of them) and have it tested, you won't have to worry about shots at all. You might also look into learning more about the type of bats that occupy your house, are they endangered, what do they eat, is this species of bat prone to rabies....the more you know the better armed you will be in dealing with them.

It is true that you do not need to get any shots until after you are bitten. However bats have the tiniest teeth and it is very difficult to tell if you or you child has been bitten. If you see a bat near your child I would assume she has been bitten and bring her in. Fortunately the shots are a lot easier now than in the past. You will get a series of 5 shots over two weeks (arms for big kids and adults and thighs for babies and toddlers). In the past the treatment was a series of 25 shots in the abdomen - OUCH! It is always better to be prophylactic if you suspect anything than to do nothing and lose your child to rabies.

I didn't realize there was a vaccine out there for humans.

You've gotten some great advice, but I would just add that you should close your daughter's bedroom door at night (after checking out her curtain rods and any other high perch points) and put a rolled up towel under her door's crevice. The bats would be more likely to be active at night when you are all asleep. Closed bedroom doors are also recommended for fire safety, so it is a good idea for many reasons.

We've had a couple of bats in the house (nothing like what Sonya had though!) but it hasn't been a huge problem. We put up a bat house last summer and sealed up cracks and crevices as we find them with Great Stuff spray foam. We now have a serious indoor problem with box elder bugs, so I think we don't have any bats. Some trade off!

Breathe a sigh of relief! There's no need to get a shot until after the bite has occurred! Hopefully all of your efforts will prevent that from ever happening.

I know there is a vaccination for adults (my brother got it when he was in the Peace Corp in Africa). I don't know if it is available for infants and children though. I do know that the series of shots you get if you are bitten by an animal are extremely painful and can have some serious side effects. I'd check with your pediatrician. Here is the web address for the CDC fact sheet about rabies vaccines.

www.cdc.gov/VACCINES/PUBS/vis/downloads/vis-rabies.pdf

If you follow the weblink at the bottom of the fact sheet it takes you to the CDC website about rabies. There is another link that explains how to "batproof" your home.

I grew up on a farm and my mom was constantly worried about us petting a stray animal or coming upon a rabid raccoon or something. It's understandable to want to protect your daughter. Although there is a pre-exposure vaccine for rabies (much like we give our pets), most people do not get the vaccine unless they were bit or otherwise at very high risk of exposure. I would call your pediatrician as a double-check and ask in what situation they would recommend getting a vaccine. Then do an internet search about how rabies is spread and what you can do to prevent exposure. That might help put your mind at ease.

My mom had bats in her house on & off several times while growing up. She has always said that while they freak her out a bit, they don't bother you unless you bother them. So chances are, one is not going to fly up & bite your child. Do your best to get rid of them in the house because of their droppings, but don't freak out. I think the idea of getting them to move to a shed or bat house (you can build your own) is a great idea, as they are very beneficial in decreasing the misquito population, but is a disease-carrying insect that should concern you more than your bats!

We live in an old house too and have had bats in the house on numerous occasions usually when I am home alone with the kids (I have 4 young children). I can't stand them but they have never come close to landing on us. They just fly around in circles and go upstairs and downstairs. My husband helps them out a window when he gets home. I have never been concerned about rabies because they aren't aggressive. The bat house sounds like a good idea though maybe we'll try that this year. I like to have them around outside for the mosquitos--just not in the house!

I would talk to my pediatrician or do research online about vaccinating. Personally, I wouldn't vaccinate--they get enough vaccinations as it is.

Would getting mosquito netting and tucking it in around the crib when the baby is in it relieve some of your anxiety? It would provide some amount of protection for the baby.
M. D

My Father is a retired Zoologist, I and my brothers were raised learning about and living with all sorts of creatures. We even raised bats. There really is little to worry about as far as bats go very, very few bats have rabies, and the ones that do would probably too sick to fly. Although it is not healthy living with bats because of the guano, bat poo.
Give your bats an alternative home, bat boxs are easy to build, you should put up several around your yard, neighborhood, after all bats are wonderful for getting rid of bugs, especially mosquitoes which can carry some very dangerous diseased themselves. In fact, I would be more worried about the mosquitoes than the bats. Do your best to plug up every hole in your attic, bats can squeeze through very tight spots and find a company that can install a bat excluder, like at www.batproof.com.
Bats are interesting and valuble creatures and because of our fear of them we are allowing many species to become endangered. We should become educated about the bat, this is key to their survival and our learning to co-habitate with them comfortabily.

I'd hire a contractor to put sheet rock in the attic (or your husband if he is handy)so the bats have nothing to attach themselves to. I would also make sure your chimney or any air vents are covered with hardware cloth (it is small mesh wire fencing used on chimneys, windows etc. so the bats know they are no longer welcome in your house. Our one yr. old was bitten by a kitten my husband had brought home from a farm, it bit our daughter, we put it outside, and found it dead the next day. We were told she would have to have rabies shots within a short time frame, I think it was something like 48 hrs.(this was 34 yrs. ago) We were told at that time there were no guarantees with the rabies shots and the side effects were very serious. Fortunately the cat was tested and was OK. I wonder if they would even be able to give one so little the shots. I hope they have made advances in this field by now. My husband is a contractor, so I know the importance of sealing up areas where these creatures can get in. Bats can be very helpful in keeping mosquitos and insects in check, but you sure don't want them in your house. Good Luck to you.

Hi K. ... that sounds like a question for your pediatrition ... I don't blame you for being paranoid. Bats don't bother me when they are OUTDOORS, but they sure unnerve me when they get INDOORS! L.

Read this, it will be helpful. It is from the center of disease control. I believe you only get vaccinated after the a person gets bitten. It also had helpful tips on how to bat proof your house. Hope this helps!! Good luck on getting rid of them. P. :)

http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/

We also have a walk up attic and had bat probems also. We have had 2 get into our home. Make sure to keep the door closed and if possible put a board on the floor next to the steps. That way if they fall by the door they wont be able to get through. Make sure the board is long enough that it covers the width of the door and tall enough that they can't sneak out that way.

We have not had issues since. We also put some paneling on the ceiling so they don't have access to the whole attic, only between the roof and the paneling. I am not sure they are even up there anymore.

I don't think they give humans a shot to protect them against it as it is a very very painful series of shots, but check with your ped...

also look into some other ways to have the bats removed from your home or find the source they are getting into your house and have it blocked...

Not to add to your worries, and I'm not a doctor, but I believe that bat poo can also cause histoplasmosis -- basically it's a really nasty airborne fungus that can cause all kinds of problems if you breathe it or it gets in your eyes or whatever. So containing that area and not exposing anyone in the house to the gunk that inevitably gets blown around during construction might also be a good idea.

Here's some info from the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/histoplasmosis...

I would agree that this is a huge concern! Talk to your doctor about vaccines, making sure to highlight your concerns. Also, have you considered one of those crib nets? They are designed to keep babies from crawling out of their cribs and falling to the floor, but it would also be effective at keeping the bats out. Obviously this only solves nighttime issues, but you are surely watching your child during the day and would certainly be on bat lookout during this time!
Good luck with this problem...

Years ago we also had bats in our attic in an old 100 yr. old house. We live on a farm. My husband connected a garden hose to anhydrous ammonia tank & filled the attic w/ammonia..we were out of the house at the time, & left for a few days. It took care of the bats. First you have to know where they are coming in tho, & plug any places they can come in.

I used to work for an Infectious Disease Clinic and I agree with what one of the ladies said about histoplasmosis from bat droppings. I remember one man who came in for treatment for this after being in a cave on vacation and breathing in the vapors. I think the exposure level has to be pretty high and you probably don't need to worry, but you should talk to a doctor or specialist just to put your mind at ease and maybe hire an exterminator.

I would ask a vet about this. Many of them have gotten the rabies vaccine to protect themselves because they work with animals. My understanding is that it is not a fun vaccine to receive, requiring more than one shot over a period of time, but I am not certain about that. I would also talk to animal control about ways to help you deal with the bats more effectively and more quickly.

Personally, I would move before either exposing my child to the risk of a bat bite or of a rabies vaccination. The thing about a small child and a bat in the house is that you may not know until it is too late that something is wrong. By the time your child shows signs of rabies you are out of luck, and a bat bite can very easily go undetected. Even adults can be bitten and not realize it. If you want to stay in your house it is time to call an exterminator and wage war on the bats. Every last one of them needs to go!

Call your babies doctor about the shots.

The Humane Society maybe able to help you see if you have bats.
It is best you get the children out of the house say to Grandmas while you do this. repair work and moth balls work for they hate them.

A adult friend got bite by a bat recently and his doctor said no one expectly a baby/ child should have rabies shots unless needed for they are dangerious.

Plus have the doctor check the child please incase the child has been scratched or biten when you was unaware of this.

And other mice and like creatures like them usually follow bats so please be carefull of this.

I am not trying to be mean or scare you just trying to give you some Granny advice.

I hope this helps you.

D. Granny to many

Wow I would be paranoid too. I've heard of people getting bitten by a bat and not knowing it.

I would definately go talk to your doctor and if there is a vaccine out there for rabies that's safe and has no bad side effects with your situation I would totally go do it for everyone in the house.

I don't know about getting the vaccine, but have you considered putting up a bat house or two? They are like bird houses, but are designed for bats. You put them up near the edge of your property (as far from the house as possible) and they are supposed to attract the bats away from your house. You should be able to find them on-line.