Dealing With Noisy Fruit Bats
Complaints are often received from homeowners about fruit bats calling outside their bedroom windows
at night. The calls are either the bats squabbling with each other, or the males calling to advertise their territory and attract
females. The male’s call is a resonant “pinging” sound. Although load, calling fruit bats are indicative of a healthy environment
and part of the night sound of Africa.
If the ruckus the bats are feeding on a fruiting tree in the garden, then the disturbance will
probably last just a few weeks until the fruit is all consumed.
Trimming the branches closest to the windows will move the bats further
away. We do not recommend cutting down trees, especially since many indigenous trees are now protected and may only be felled if a
permit is granted by the local authority. Cutting down trees decreases the natural habitat available to all species of wildlife.
“White
noise” will counteract bats’ calls. This can be produced by playing a radio off-station to produce a “hiss”, running an air conditioner
or an electric fan.
If all else fails, try using earplugs!
Never hose fruit bats out of a roost. Their wings are fragile and the force
of water from a hosepipe is sufficient to seriously injure them.