Bird-loving vampire bats develop taste for human blood

[Dr. Who]

There have only been 13 reported cases of West nile, and 1 death in my state thus far. I am guessing my chances of dying of cancer or a heat attack are much larger there as well. My issue with bats are two fold--1 I have had one collide with me in the last few years, but several years ago, when they clear cut a couple hundred acres next to where I lived, leaving the flying rabies factories no place to shelter, they were absolutely everywhere at our house for the rest of that season. It was not unusual to find them hiding in clothes that were hanging out on the line, etc. Seemed like you could do nothing outside without ending up with an unexpected bat encounter and sometimes inadvertently brought them inside. I also as a teen had the unenviable task of ridding my bosses attic of bats and he had a proper colony set up in there--hundreds of the nasty things. Surprisingly no pest control company in town would deal with them.

Anyway, mosquitoes are not really a problem for me. I am vigilant about keeping no standing water about in the warm months. I flush out the birdbaths every day, check for places that may have accumulated standing water after rains. keep buckets upside down when not in use, etc. I have also removed several trees around my house to open up the air circulation to make this place not as inviting for them. I also encourage other animals that assist in this mission like toads.

Yes bat houses are easy to build for free. I was just pointing it out for you in case you wanted to be friendly and buy one. They should be mounted at least 10 feet in the air, preferable higher and in relatively shaded spots.

I see that you have somewhat traumatic memories associated with bats that are responsible for your "battidude". I have never had any averse bat encounters and although I currently live in a large city and for the most part don't have the mosquito issues that I grew up with elsewhere, I'm rather a bat fan but I understand that you are not. It's all good. Perhaps one of your neighbors will build the bat shelters to keep those mosquitoes under control on the properties of people who are less attentive to standing water issues and creating giant mosquito breeding grounds.

I used to live very near a swamp, so summer was banquet season for mosquitoes when I was a kid. I was fortunately not allergic to their analgesic injection that prevents you from feeling their feeding, but I am acutely aware of the diseases that they now carry and since I'm older, I would rather have bats having a feeding frenzy than mosquitoes having a feeding frenzy.

[Kacper]

I see that you have somewhat traumatic memories associated with bats that are responsible for your "battidude". I have never had any averse bat encounters and although I currently live in a large city and for the most part don't have the mosquito issues that I grew up with elsewhere, I'm rather a bat fan but I understand that you are not. It's all good. Perhaps one of your neighbors will build the bat shelters to keep those mosquitoes under control on the properties of people who are less attentive to standing water issues and creating giant mosquito breeding grounds.

I used to live very near a swamp, so summer was banquet season for mosquitoes when I was a kid. I was fortunately not allergic to their analgesic injection that prevents you from feeling their feeding, but I am acutely aware of the diseases that they now carry and since I'm older, I would rather have bats having a feeding frenzy than mosquitoes having a feeding frenzy.

Not really. Mostly I am stringing you along because I think it is funny that someone with an owl avatar advocates for bats over owls. I wouldn't really want an owl hooting out behind my house all night. When I was a teen we had one that did that for years and it drove me bonkers many nights. I spent quite a bit of time researching bats and bat houses a few years ago and concluded that it was better not to have them, but I forget why it was. Maybe they promote the spread of bat killing disease or something. I just recall that it was better for the bats to old school roost.

[Dr. Who]

Not really. Mostly I am stringing you along because I think it is funny that someone with an owl avatar advocates for bats over owls. I wouldn't really want an owl hooting out behind my house all night. When I was a teen we had one that did that for years and it drove me bonkers many nights. I spent quite a bit of time researching bats and bat houses a few years ago and concluded that it was better not to have them, but I forget why it was. Maybe they promote the spread of bat killing disease or something. I just recall that it was better for the bats to old school roost.

I like all critters great and small, but my avatar is a play on homonyms. I'm Dr. Who (Hoo) - get it? If I had a farm I would definitely encourage barn owls to keep down the rodent and snake population.

[Kacper]

I like all critters great and small, but my avatar is a play on homonyms. I'm Dr. Who (Hoo) - get it? If I had a farm I would definitely encourage barn owls to keep down the rodent and snake population.

I have legions of cats to take care of rodents/snakes, including two that are on my desk right now batting crap around. Rats/mice are the only rodents that bother me. The rest I am fine with. I do have a true phobia of rats/mice. Even people with pet gerbils freak me out. I cannot stand to be in the room with them critters even if they are a hamster in a glass tank. Put one on me and I will kill it on the spot and run around freaking out even after it is dead. They are the reason I don't completely dismiss the possibility of a "gay panic" defense some people have put forth. I just substitute "gay" with "rat" and it becomes a little more relatable. You just have to understand what panic reactions can and can't be like.

[Dr. Who]

I have legions of cats to take care of rodents/snakes, including two that are on my desk right now batting crap around. Rats/mice are the only rodents that bother me. The rest I am fine with. I do have a true phobia of rats/mice. Even people with pet gerbils freak me out. I cannot stand to be in the room with them critters even if they are a hamster in a glass tank. Put one on me and I will kill it on the spot and run around freaking out even after it is dead. They are the reason I don't completely dismiss the possibility of a "gay panic" defense some people have put forth. I just substitute "gay" with "rat" and it becomes a little more relatable. You just have to understand what panic reactions can and can't be like.

I'm sorry that you are phobic. There is therapy that can change your reaction in as little as a couple of sessions. I have no critter phobias whatsoever. I am always amazed when people react emotionally to rodents and snakes, bugs and spiders. I am the female that looks at all of the other females flipping out when they see a mouse and wonder what all the fuss is about. Mice and rats are kind of cute. Rats are actually very smart. You don't want either camping out in your house because they are destructive and not housebroken, but they aren't scary. They are far more afraid of you. Often parents pass their phobias on to their children. My mother was raised on a farm, so we grew up handling wildlife and insects. Phobias were simply not allowed.

[resister]

I like all critters great and small, but my avatar is a play on homonyms. I'm Dr. Who (Hoo) - get it? If I had a farm I would definitely encourage barn owls to keep down the rodent and snake population.

OMG!

Did you just make a very uninformed, blanket statement on snakes? You do know that the Colubridae, a diurnal and native Constrictor species (of which there are plenty) are commonly called "rat snakes" ?

[Kacper]

I'm sorry that you are phobic. There is therapy that can change your reaction in as little as a couple of sessions. I have no critter phobias whatsoever. I am always amazed when people react emotionally to rodents and snakes, bugs and spiders. I am the female that looks at all of the other females flipping out when they see a mouse and wonder what all the fuss is about. Mice and rats are kind of cute. Rats are actually very smart. You don't want either camping out in your house because they are destructive and not housebroken, but they aren't scary. They are far more afraid of you. Often parents pass their phobias on to their children. My mother was raised on a farm, so we grew up handling wildlife and insects. Phobias were simply not allowed.

A therapy involving putting me in a room with a rat won't end well for that therapist's rat. I am just telling you that straight up. I don't care if they are cute, or afraid of me, or taste like peanut butter cups. I will stomp it to death or crush it with whatever can be fashioned into a crusher in about a half a second. This has nothing to do with my parents' phobias. I don't know that my dad ever had one and the only one I know my mom had was to have anything sticky on her.

[Dr. Who]

OMG!

Did you just make a very uninformed, blanket statement on snakes? You do know that the Colubridae, a diurnal and native Constrictor species (of which there are plenty) are commonly called "rat snakes" ?

No, I made no statement about snakes. I made a statement about the vermin you find on farms that are not useful if you are raising say chickens or storing grain or if you don't want your home invaded by either.

[resister]

I like all critters great and small, but my avatar is a play on homonyms. I'm Dr. Who (Hoo) - get it? If I had a farm I would definitely encourage barn owls to keep down the rodent and snake population.

Rats eat grain and chicken feed, snakes (some of those native constrictors) eat rodents (more so than poultry).

Yes, you did make another (misinformed) statement about snakes.

No, I made no statement about snakes. I made a statement about the vermin you find on farms that are not useful if you are raising say chickens or storing grain or if you don't want your home invaded by either.

[Dr. Who]

A therapy involving putting me in a room with a rat won't end well for that therapist's rat. I am just telling you that straight up. I don't care if they are cute, or afraid of me, or taste like peanut butter cups. I will stomp it to death or crush it with whatever can be fashioned into a crusher in about a half a second. This has nothing to do with my parents' phobias. I don't know that my dad ever had one and the only one I know my mom had was to have anything sticky on her.

Actually, the therapy starts very slowly, with pictures of the things that you fear and then perhaps videos of those things. As you become more comfortable with looking at them they proceed to show you say a live animal in a cage. It goes at your pace, but most people overcome their phobias in a couple of sessions regardless of the source of the phobia. Sometimes it's just an unpleasant experience as a child that you don't even remember. Something that scared you.