Turns out, mentholated topical ointment masks the smell and keeps the bats away. "It was kind of like, OK, add that into my toolbox of tricks of dealing with bat bites. I can use some Vicks VapoRub," Shacker said with a laugh.
Excluding bats from night roosts can be difficult but people have had success by placing a strong odor at the roosting location. For example, Vic's vapor rub can be smeared on the wall or moth balls can be hung in a nylon.
Employ scent and noise deterrents like peppermint and eucalyptus oils, and ultrasonic devices to repel bats. If problems persist, install alternative bat habitats or seek professional pest control for a lasting solution.
Use peppermint, cinnamon, or eucalyptus essential oils to deter bats from staying in your home. Combine the essential oil of your choice with water and heavily spray the area where the bats are nesting. Bats also do not like bright lights or items that reflect light, like foil or mylar balloons.
The most basic method is to call for help. Your state department of natural resources may have a biologist willing to remove the bat for you. Another method is to let the bat find its own way out. Open as many windows and doors leading to the outside as possible.
Fact: Bats are afraid of people and avoid them. Bat echolocation is highly sophisticated and enables them to detect obstacles as fine as human hair, therefore easily avoiding your head. If a bat gets close to a human, it's usually because they are curious about insects that are naturally attracted to people.
Some studies suggest that Vicks VapoRub can help ease nerve-related foot pain, treat cracked heels, and help clear toenail fungus.
Just a bit on the areas of exposed skin (or a shot on the collar and hat) will keep them from landing. Citronella wrinkles the nose of a blackfly, as does Vicks VapoRub.
Lavender oil, with its soothing floral scent, is not just for relaxation. It's also one of the smells bugs hate, particularly moths, fleas, flies, and mosquitoes.
Ultrasonic Sounds
Humans cannot usually hear ultrasonic devices, but bats, rodents, and other animals hear a bothersome noise. Bats use echolocation to navigate when they fly. Ultrasonic sounds may interfere with and prevent them from feeding, disrupt sleep, and make communication difficult.
If you want to implement a practice to deter bats, putting up bright lights probably won't do the trick. It seems reasonable, as bats will avoid bright lights, but it often exacerbates the problem.
Sulfur-containing odors are highly volatile, meaning they evaporate easily and so can be detected from the air. New World nectar feeding bats like the Pallas's long-tongued bat (Glossophaga soricina) are innately attracted to this smell.
Natural repellents like cinnamon, peppermint, and eucalyptus oils can deter bats due to their strong sense of smell. Apply these oils on potential entry points or use them as a spray around your property.
While mothballs are often considered a do-it-yourself home remedy to bat problems due to their strong odor and chemical properties, they are generally ineffective against bats, and their use for this purpose is not recommended due to health and environmental concerns.
If left alone, the bat will probably leave on its own when the weather turns cooler. However, some people have found success in getting a bat to leave by suspending aluminum foil or helium-filled Mylar balloons close to the roosting spot (note, the balloons need to sway to deter the bats).
Repel Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes don't like the scent of camphor oil and menthol, two of the key ingredients in the cough medicine. They're likely to try to stay away from you if you smear a small amount of Vicks on your wrists or ankles before heading outside.
Yes, Pine-Sol can keep flies away from your deck. “Products that contain natural oils like pine oil can repel flies,” chemistry professor Bill Carroll says. Despite Pine-Sol no longer containing actual pine oil, “it does contain limonene, which is a component of pine oil” Carroll says.
Some people insist that VapoRub repels insects like nothing else, whereas others say it just doesn't work. There's no evidence to suggest that this works at the moment, and we may have to wait until some magical person can speak to creepy crawlies and find out their feelings about Vicks before we'll know for sure.
Q: How often can I use Vicks VapoRub? A: For cough suppression, Vicks VapoRub may be used up to 3 times daily or as directed by your doctor. Simply rub a thick layer on your chest and throat. For muscle/joint minor aches and pains, Vicks VapoRub may be applied to the affected area not more than 3 to 4 times daily.
What does Vicks VapoRub do if you apply it to your feet under a pair of socks? The petroleum in Vicks VapoRub is the same ointment found in Vaseline and Aquaphor. It's an excellent moisturizer. So if you sleep with Vicks VapoRub on your feet you may wake up with softer and more hydrated skin.
Some people use a humidifier in their bedroom to encourage their sinuses to drain. This makes it easier to breathe through your nose. Applying a product like Vicks VapoRub to your chest before bedtime also will help open your airway.
Broadcasting ultrasonic sounds at the frequency range which bats use for echolocation may act as a deterrent by interfering with their ability to perceive echoes.
Do bats come back to the same place? Some bats leave for the winter, but most hibernate in their nest. In April, these same bats return to their nesting places. If the bats have a nest in your home, they will return to the same spot, year after year.
One of the most common ways to keep bats out of your home is to introduce their natural enemies, like owls, near the bats' roosting place. Simply buy a fake, plastic owl and mount it as high as possible, while making sure it's close to where the bats are roosting on or near your home.