Serious said:

JustErin said:

It's almost always less than 1%. Even so, you don't want them in your bedroom.

Unfortunately, if you can't at least find out how they are getting into the house proper and fix at least that, there is nothing you can do.

But I'd still need to see a doctor if I'd got bitten, right? Would I notice if I was bitten at night?

They can get in everywhere easily.

Of course you should see a doctor if bitten. You should get a rabies shot and a tetanus shot if you are bitten by any vector species. You will not die.

Serious said:

OMG I just read you can even get rabies from inhaling particles of their shit !

Where the fuck are you reading this shit?

Serious said:

JustErin said:

Oh, and bats with rabies don't attack, they are too out of it to really even function. Most people who are bitten are bitten because they were handling them, or....hate to say....rolled onto them in their bed.

Not trying to scare you. I really think you don't need to worry.

I worked with bats when I worked at the wildlife centre, I actually think they are awesome.

Okay, I don't plan to touch them and I need to remind David to not do that in case he tries to get rid of them.

Could they fall down from the ceiling in the night when they have rabies ? And I could roll over them then in my sleep ?

Listen, when an animal is sick (including rabies) they do not act normally. The odds of a bat acting normal enough to be able to hang, fly do all that normal shit and then suddenly drop in your bed is slim to none.

As I told you already, the rabies rate is always less than zero, like .05%.

And as I also already said, millions of people live around bats every day and are fine.

You guys will be fine, but again...I can not stress enough how much you should at least try to block off entry points, even with cheap screening.

JustErin said:

Serious said:

I always thought they are vampire bats. I saw a TV program about bats which was shot very close to where David lives so it was likely they are the same species. I just read the German wiki and it says that people die from rabies if bitten by them which means that they really bite humans too . And I just found out that it kills you for sure if you are infected . And there is not enough time anymore to get a full vaccaniation against it before I travel there .

Ok, first off, they do not feed on humans. Second, you do not automatically die from rabies. If you feel you were bitten you can be treated and no....it's not a series of shots in the stomach. If you are really scared, you can even be vacinated for rabies (I was when I worked with them).

We had infected bats come in now and then (since infected ones act like they are sick and are out of it, so people catch them), and I remember some dude even being bitten by one that tested positive. He did not die.

But honestly, people live with bats every day and do just fine. I would just attempt to find out where they are getting into your room and block it off.

If bats are flying around your room, acting normal...they do not have rabies.

Thanks so much for all your help.

I just read that you automatically die if not vaccinated and once you suffer any symptoms on the website of the Austrian tropical institute as well as on a similar website .

I hope I would find a place there that treats me rather quick in the worst case. That website also says that in certain countries it still is a series of shots in the stomach and I wonder if Trindad is one of them . From what I just found out the vaccination consists of 3 parts and there isn't enough time left to do that before I go there. Thank God it probably is very unlikely to be bitten I guess.

They are getting in through the windows. But there would be a million other ways for them to get in that house as well.

Oh and one other question: is rabies pronounced like babies?

JustErin said:

Serious said:

OMG I just read you can even get rabies from inhaling particles of their shit !

Where the fuck are you reading this shit?

http://www.reisemed.at/tollwut.html

It's a medical website for travellers

JustErin said:

Serious said:

But I'd still need to see a doctor if I'd got bitten, right? Would I notice if I was bitten at night?

They can get in everywhere easily.

Of course you should see a doctor if bitten. You should get a rabies shot and a tetanus shot if you are bitten by any vector species. You will not die.

Okay. David told me today that the 4 puppies he has now bite him all the time. I wonder if that is dangerous too. They were born in his shop, so I hope they cannot be infected.

Serious said:

JustErin said:

Ok, first off, they do not feed on humans. Second, you do not automatically die from rabies. If you feel you were bitten you can be treated and no....it's not a series of shots in the stomach. If you are really scared, you can even be vacinated for rabies (I was when I worked with them).

We had infected bats come in now and then (since infected ones act like they are sick and are out of it, so people catch them), and I remember some dude even being bitten by one that tested positive. He did not die.

But honestly, people live with bats every day and do just fine. I would just attempt to find out where they are getting into your room and block it off.

If bats are flying around your room, acting normal...they do not have rabies.

Thanks so much for all your help.

I just read that you automatically die if not vaccinated and once you suffer any symptoms on the website of the Austrian tropical institute as well as on a similar website .

I hope I would find a place there that treats me rather quick in the worst case. That website also says that in certain countries it still is a series of shots in the stomach and I wonder if Trindad is one of them . From what I just found out the vaccination consists of 3 parts and there isn't enough time left to do that before I go there. Thank God it probably is very unlikely to be bitten I guess.

They are getting in through the windows. But there would be a million other ways for them to get in that house as well.

Oh and one other question: is rabies pronounced like babies?

Yes, like babies.

And I am telling you, you do not automatically die if you are infected, so please....just forget what you read about that...and the inhaling the virus too.

Maybe do some research into rabies prevention and treatment where he lives, call them, talk to them. See what you can do about getting vaccinated before you leave as well.

But really, I think you'll both be just fine.

Serious said:

JustErin said:

Of course you should see a doctor if bitten. You should get a rabies shot and a tetanus shot if you are bitten by any vector species. You will not die.

Okay. David told me today that the 4 puppies he has now bite him all the time. I wonder if that is dangerous too. They were born in his shop, so I hope they cannot be infected.

If they were sick, you would know. Also, all pets should be vaccinated.

But AGAIN, rabies infections is less than 1%, so really, there is no reason to be an extremist in thinking everyone and everything might have it.

JustErin said:

Serious said:

Okay, I don't plan to touch them and I need to remind David to not do that in case he tries to get rid of them.

Could they fall down from the ceiling in the night when they have rabies ? And I could roll over them then in my sleep ?

Listen, when an animal is sick (including rabies) they do not act normally. The odds of a bat acting normal enough to be able to hang, fly do all that normal shit and then suddenly drop in your bed is slim to none.

As I told you already, the rabies rate is always less than zero, like .05%.

And as I also already said, millions of people live around bats every day and are fine.

You guys will be fine, but again...I can not stress enough how much you should at least try to block off entry points, even with cheap screening.

I see.

That house is not built in a European way. It's pretty much one big entry point . It doesn't have glass windows and around the windows, doors etc. there are spaces so that the air can circulate. The ground floor (the bedroomis one the first floor) doesn't even have a door, but is just open.

JustErin said:

Serious said:

Thanks so much for all your help.

I just read that you automatically die if not vaccinated and once you suffer any symptoms on the website of the Austrian tropical institute as well as on a similar website .

I hope I would find a place there that treats me rather quick in the worst case. That website also says that in certain countries it still is a series of shots in the stomach and I wonder if Trindad is one of them . From what I just found out the vaccination consists of 3 parts and there isn't enough time left to do that before I go there. Thank God it probably is very unlikely to be bitten I guess.

They are getting in through the windows. But there would be a million other ways for them to get in that house as well.

Oh and one other question: is rabies pronounced like babies?

Yes, like babies.

And I am telling you, you do not automatically die if you are infected, so please....just forget what you read about that...and the inhaling the virus too.

Maybe do some research into rabies prevention and treatment where he lives, call them, talk to them. See what you can do about getting vaccinated before you leave as well.

But really, I think you'll both be just fine.

After I read how expensive that vaccination is and as you tell me how unlikely it is that I will get bitten let alone infected I guess I will just try to stay calm and try to not think about them to much.

That's a good idea, I wonder how could get more info about treatment there .

Although what I just found on wikipedia about rabies doesn't exactly sound great:

Rabies and bats

The problem of bat-transmitted rabies is found over most of North and South America but was first closely studied in Trinidad in the West Indies which had a dreadful reputation for bat rabies, which took a significant toll of livestock and humans alike. In the 10 years from 1925 and 1935, 89 people and thousands of livestock had died from it - "the highest human mortality from rabies-infected bats thus far recorded anywhere.".^[30]

In early 1931, Dr. H. Metivier, a Veterinary surgeon, established the connection between the bites of bats and paralytic rabies. In September 1931, Dr. J. L. Pawan, a Government Bacteriologist found Negri bodies in the brain of a bat with unusual habits. In 1934 the Trinidad and Tobago Government began a program of vampire bat control, shooting, netting, trapping and poisoning, while encouraging the screening off of livestock buildings and free vaccination programs for exposed livestock.

After the opening of the Trinidad Regional Virus Laboratory in 1953, basic research on bats and rabies progressed rapidly under the able direction of Arthur Greenhall, who demonstrated that at least 8 species of bats in Trinidad had been infected with rabies - particularly the Common Vampire Bat, Desmodus rotundus (which "will attack any warm blooded creature"), the rare White-winged Vampire Bat, Diaemus youngi, (which "appears to have a special preference for birds and goats"), as well as two abundant species of Fruit Bats: the Seba's Short-tailed Bat or Short-tailed Fruit Bat, Carollia perspicillata, which commonly roosts with Vampires, and the Jamaican Fruit Bat, Artibeus jamaicensis.^[31]

Serious said:

JustErin said:

Listen, when an animal is sick (including rabies) they do not act normally. The odds of a bat acting normal enough to be able to hang, fly do all that normal shit and then suddenly drop in your bed is slim to none.

As I told you already, the rabies rate is always less than zero, like .05%.

And as I also already said, millions of people live around bats every day and are fine.

You guys will be fine, but again...I can not stress enough how much you should at least try to block off entry points, even with cheap screening.

I see.

That house is not built in a European way. It's pretty much one big entry point . It doesn't have glass windows and around the windows, doors etc. there are spaces so that the air can circulate. The ground floor (the bedroomis one the first floor) doesn't even have a door, but is just open.

I understand. I know it's not the same there. All I am saying is, if you can't block them from getting in, you can't get rid of bats in your house. Even if these guys are removed, other will eventually move in.

As for a deterrent, I guess you can try the old dog hair in a nylon-made bag (with an old pair of panty hose) placed near entry points into the room, but I'm not sure how well that works for bats.

Serious said:

JustErin said:

Yes, like babies.

And I am telling you, you do not automatically die if you are infected, so please....just forget what you read about that...and the inhaling the virus too.

Maybe do some research into rabies prevention and treatment where he lives, call them, talk to them. See what you can do about getting vaccinated before you leave as well.

But really, I think you'll both be just fine.

After I read how expensive that vaccination is and as you tell me how unlikely it is that I will get bitten let alone infected I guess I will just try to stay calm and try to not think about them to much.

That's a good idea, I wonder how could get more info about treatment there .

Although what I just found on wikipedia about rabies doesn't exactly sound great:

Rabies and bats

The problem of bat-transmitted rabies is found over most of North and South America but was first closely studied in Trinidad in the West Indies which had a dreadful reputation for bat rabies, which took a significant toll of livestock and humans alike. In the 10 years from 1925 and 1935, 89 people and thousands of livestock had died from it - "the highest human mortality from rabies-infected bats thus far recorded anywhere.".^[30]

In early 1931, Dr. H. Metivier, a Veterinary surgeon, established the connection between the bites of bats and paralytic rabies. In September 1931, Dr. J. L. Pawan, a Government Bacteriologist found Negri bodies in the brain of a bat with unusual habits. In 1934 the Trinidad and Tobago Government began a program of vampire bat control, shooting, netting, trapping and poisoning, while encouraging the screening off of livestock buildings and free vaccination programs for exposed livestock.

After the opening of the Trinidad Regional Virus Laboratory in 1953, basic research on bats and rabies progressed rapidly under the able direction of Arthur Greenhall, who demonstrated that at least 8 species of bats in Trinidad had been infected with rabies - particularly the Common Vampire Bat, Desmodus rotundus (which "will attack any warm blooded creature"), the rare White-winged Vampire Bat, Diaemus youngi, (which "appears to have a special preference for birds and goats"), as well as two abundant species of Fruit Bats: the Seba's Short-tailed Bat or Short-tailed Fruit Bat, Carollia perspicillata, which commonly roosts with Vampires, and the Jamaican Fruit Bat, Artibeus jamaicensis.^[31]

"1929, 1931, 1934, 1953"

Need I say more?

JustErin said:

Serious said:

Okay. David told me today that the 4 puppies he has now bite him all the time. I wonder if that is dangerous too. They were born in his shop, so I hope they cannot be infected.

If they were sick, you would know. Also, all pets should be vaccinated.

But AGAIN, rabies infections is less than 1%, so really, there is no reason to be an extremist in thinking everyone and everything might have it.

He wants to keep one or 2 of them and I am very sure no pet in that area is vaccinated and David would just laugh if I tell him to get them vaccinated. The dogs there are like a mixture of wild dogs and pets. You don't feed them for example usually.

JustErin said:

Serious said:

I see.

That house is not built in a European way. It's pretty much one big entry point . It doesn't have glass windows and around the windows, doors etc. there are spaces so that the air can circulate. The ground floor (the bedroomis one the first floor) doesn't even have a door, but is just open.

I understand. I know it's not the same there. All I am saying is, if you can't block them from getting in, you can't get rid of bats in your house. Even if these guys are removed, other will eventually move in.

As for a deterrent, I guess you can try the old dog hair in a nylon-made bag (with an old pair of panty hose) placed near entry points into the room, but I'm not sure how well that works for bats.

But others might not choose that place right above my bed.

And what about dog repellent applied to the place where they hang? Do you think that might work? BTW I still have no clue what dog repellent is .

You mean make a bag out of a pantyhose and put doghair in it, right? Mabye I could try to put that exacly to "their" spot where they are hanging ?

JustErin said:

Serious said:

After I read how expensive that vaccination is and as you tell me how unlikely it is that I will get bitten let alone infected I guess I will just try to stay calm and try to not think about them to much.

That's a good idea, I wonder how could get more info about treatment there .

Although what I just found on wikipedia about rabies doesn't exactly sound great:

Rabies and bats

The problem of bat-transmitted rabies is found over most of North and South America but was first closely studied in Trinidad in the West Indies which had a dreadful reputation for bat rabies, which took a significant toll of livestock and humans alike. In the 10 years from 1925 and 1935, 89 people and thousands of livestock had died from it - "the highest human mortality from rabies-infected bats thus far recorded anywhere.".^[30]

In early 1931, Dr. H. Metivier, a Veterinary surgeon, established the connection between the bites of bats and paralytic rabies. In September 1931, Dr. J. L. Pawan, a Government Bacteriologist found Negri bodies in the brain of a bat with unusual habits. In 1934 the Trinidad and Tobago Government began a program of vampire bat control, shooting, netting, trapping and poisoning, while encouraging the screening off of livestock buildings and free vaccination programs for exposed livestock.

After the opening of the Trinidad Regional Virus Laboratory in 1953, basic research on bats and rabies progressed rapidly under the able direction of Arthur Greenhall, who demonstrated that at least 8 species of bats in Trinidad had been infected with rabies - particularly the Common Vampire Bat, Desmodus rotundus (which "will attack any warm blooded creature"), the rare White-winged Vampire Bat, Diaemus youngi, (which "appears to have a special preference for birds and goats"), as well as two abundant species of Fruit Bats: the Seba's Short-tailed Bat or Short-tailed Fruit Bat, Carollia perspicillata, which commonly roosts with Vampires, and the Jamaican Fruit Bat, Artibeus jamaicensis.^[31]

"1929, 1931, 1934, 1953"

Need I say more?

I know .

Ask RodeoSchro how he got rid of the frogs in his garden. I bet he has a unique method for bats, too.

Serious said:

paintedlady said:

Those bats are so cute. I actaually love fruit bats.

Do they look like fruit bats to you?

No, the fruit bats I seen were blackish in color.

Fruit bats are big too. Long noses, I can't see the faces on those little guys you pictured.

But do you have bats in your belfry?

Sounds like you need a new pet.

Damn, girl!

Can you make a canopy to put over the bed at night?

• Trinidad has more types of bats than any other country
• There are 100 species of mammals in Trinidad and Tobago of which 60 are bats
• The Tamana Caves, located in the Tamana Hills in Trinidad has a bat population between 500,000 to 3 million bats.
• A type of vampire bat – Desmodus Rotundus Rotundus – is found in Trinidad
• Vampire bats feed on the blood of animals and sometimes humans
• Less than 0.5% of bats carry rabies
• Bats have very small teeth and can bite a sleeping person without being felt.
• One bat can consume 4,800 insects a night
• Bats disperse seeds and pollinate fruits which make bats vital for the survival of the rain forest

NONONONONONONONONONONONONO!

I'm still traumatized for you.

Would putting bat houses around the property help any?

I swear If there's no way to keep them out I think I'd have to drop a giant mosquito net over the entire house.

I'm extremely terrified of bats. So much so that if one shit on me in me sleep I'd probably shit upward right back on them. Somehow they frighten me that much.

FauxReal said:

I'm extremely terrified of bats. So much so that if one shit on me in me sleep I'd probably shit upward right back on them. Somehow they frighten me that much.

Well that's one way to get rid of a bat.

Serious said:

Genesia said:

Are they in your attic? You could probably contact animal control and have them removed (but not killed). You would then need to make sure they can't get in again.

They are in the bedroom. There is no way to make sure that they won't get in again . It's a house in the middle of the tropical rain forest that is built in a way that they have millions of chances to get in .

Would mosquito netting help? Like if you were to hang it over the places they use to get in?

3 pages in this thread and no reaction from kpowers? hmmm...

KoolEaze said:

Ask RodeoSchro how he got rid of the frogs in his garden. I bet he has a unique method for bats, too.

I remember that I was defending the frogs in that thread. We have huge frogs in the kitchen too . I love them and told David that he is not allowed to get rid of them as they are my family . One time when I was brushing my teeth outside in the dark and I was spitting on a frog by accident and he enjoyed it and stayed there waiting for some more rain I guess .

Nikademus said:

Serious said:

They are in the bedroom. There is no way to make sure that they won't get in again . It's a house in the middle of the tropical rain forest that is built in a way that they have millions of chances to get in .

Would mosquito netting help? Like if you were to hang it over the places they use to get in?

I was considering that, but I guess there are way to may places to cover them all up.

paintedlady said:

Serious said:

Do they look like fruit bats to you?

No, the fruit bats I seen were blackish in color.

Fruit bats are big too. Long noses, I can't see the faces on those little guys you pictured.

Okay, so it won't work to attract them to a fruit tree then .

johnart said:

NONONONONONONONONONONONONO!

I'm still traumatized for you.

Would putting bat houses around the property help any?

I swear If there's no way to keep them out I think I'd have to drop a giant mosquito net over the entire house.

From what I learned on this thread they only work for fruit bats and not for vampire bats. OMG how I hate that word alone .

That would be a huge mosqutio net .

noimageatall said:

Damn, girl!

Can you make a canopy to put over the bed at night?

• Trinidad has more types of bats than any other country
• There are 100 species of mammals in Trinidad and Tobago of which 60 are bats
• The Tamana Caves, located in the Tamana Hills in Trinidad has a bat population between 500,000 to 3 million bats.
• A type of vampire bat – Desmodus Rotundus Rotundus – is found in Trinidad
• Vampire bats feed on the blood of animals and sometimes humans
• Less than 0.5% of bats carry rabies
• Bats have very small teeth and can bite a sleeping person without being felt.
• One bat can consume 4,800 insects a night
• Bats disperse seeds and pollinate fruits which make bats vital for the survival of the rain forest

That part about getting bitten in your sleep without noticing it ! I am wondering if a mosquito net might already be enough protection from that . Or some kind of curtein as a canopy like you said . And I am wondering if they were gone how many mosqitos might be in the house then.