How to detour or deflect bats?

Question

I live in a rural country area on the 3rd floor where there is a flat black-top roof 20’x10’. I have cats who like to hang out on this roof, mostly at night when it is cooler. One of my cats is quite the hunter and has managed to catch and kill at least seven bats this summer. This fact, albeit impressive, concerns me due to the loss of bats, which are extremely good to have around. I am looking for help in detouring the bats from the area around my roof and don’t know if there is a sound or barrier I can create. Other than keeping the cats in, which is not an option.

I am wary of detouring the bats completely from the property; just the flat roof area. I respect that although sometimes nature needs to to run its course there must be something bats don't like that would help.

Answer 1

I don't know anything that will detour the bats, other than suspending a net over your roof - the bats will avoid it. And anthing that would irritate them sonicly will send them COMPLETELY away from your entire property

Maybe be creative in somehow inhibiting your cat's ability to get on the roof in the first place?


An interesting aside - a study was done in rural England concerning Cats that are belled. An unexpected outcome is that although the belled cats catch fewer prey *initially*, in the long run, belled cats catch far MORE prey than their un-belled counterparts. The fact is true. The assumption, is that the belled cats have to learn to be even more stealthy to keep the bells from dinging, and they get so good at stalking, that they are able to get even closer to the prey than un-belled cats before the critters are aware of them.

Answer 2

* Your roof must be a source of insects, that is attracting the bats. Insect Eating Bats, are supremely good at what they do, a single little brown bat can catch and eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour. They will eat anything somewhat small, that creeps and crawls.

* The strong fumes from Camphor Balls or Flakes in a few screen covered containers placed around your roof, will repel any bats and will discourage any new ones from coming around, but you will have to anchor them securely, due to the cats, and do remember the rain.

* Build or buy a 'bat house' to hang somewhere outside, away from your home. This could serve as a new home for your bats once they discover that they can no longer hover around your roof.

* Fiberglass is a material that irritates bats. They hate the stuff, but so do us humans, and Pets.

Answer 3

How cool to have bats around... I'd love some to get rid of the mosquitoes around here.

Surely there's some sortof sonic device online that would emit a signal to keep them out of the house. I'd try googling for something like this.

Answer 4

put a bell on the cat's collar
get one for each of them, then the bats will definitely hear it