ROCKLEDGE, Fla. – Completely bat-infested: That is how one Rockledge woman described her apartment, and she says the owner isn’t doing anything to help.
Since bats are important to the ecosystem, state law can still protect them -- even if they’re in your home or on your private property. This is especially true from April 15 to Aug. 16, where all attempts to handle, disturb or exclude bats is highly illegal because it’s mating season.
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Britten Canida said she is familiar with the law. However, she’s still not happy with how the situation is being handled. She and her son have each now had three rabies shots as a result of them having to share their residence unwillingly with bats.
“Our place is completely bat-infested,” Canida said. “They are in the walls. They screech. They scratch all the time.”
Canida told News 6 reporter James Sparvero that she had called police about the issue, and an officer had helped her remove a bat one time. However, she said the police aren’t helping her anymore.
“After that, they wouldn’t come out because it was too dangerous for the officers, a liability, like they could get bitten and get rabies,” Canida said. “So I had to order a net from Amazon, and I have a net that I use to catch them and then I have to take them out myself.”
Canida said she had also called the owner of her apartment, who similarly is not helping the problem and causing her to tackle the issue herself.
“They can’t remove them from the attics and things like that until (August) 15th, but these are actually getting inside the condo which is -- it’s absolutely terrifying for us,” Canida said. “I asked him to provide us, like, with a habitable place to live because it’s just unlivable.”
Canida’s landlord has not responded to Sparvero’s request for comment.
So next, Sparvero asked wildlife trapper James Dean in Melbourne what Canida should do.
“With the bats being in the physical residence of the property, they need to contact Florida FWC and speak with a biologist,” Dean said. “They would suggest, probably, something else - the tenant would have to move out. And then, leave all the windows and doors completely open to where the bats can, eventually, move out of the place.”
The FWC’s website provides information on living with bats and how to legally remove them. For more information, visit this article by ClickOrlando for guidelines and tips about dealing with bats.
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