'Let them live, but not in my house': Bat colony roosts in Waxhaw home

WAXHAW, N.C. — Since June, John Milicevic and his wife have had bats living among them.

"We went up through this crawl space and sure enough, the bats were in a corner by the vents, huddled together," said Milicevic. "My biggest fear was them coming in through the vent into the bathroom."

Milicevic said he first noticed the winged mammals’ droppings on the side of his home. Then, he heard and saw them at dawn and dusk.

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"In the evening, when my wife and I watched them leave, it was somewhat majestic,” he said. “One at a time -- like an airport. They are beautiful animals. God put them here for a reason. Let them live, but not in my house."

It wasn't just one bat roosting in the Milicevics' house, but dozens.

He said a large colony chose their Waxhaw home as a breeding ground and nursery for their pups. During that time, contractors in North Carolina legally could not move the creatures. They had to wait until last week, when the bats were able to fly out on their own.

Milicevic said he paid a contractor more than $1,000 to fence up his vents, seal cracks and install devices that allow the bats to leave, but not return.

Rick Seifer, with the Pest Control Authority, said 40% of his calls last month were for bat issues.

"They can drop down and fly out. They look like little harrier jets,” he said. “They flop down -- boom -- they take off, but they can’t crawl and get back in."

Milicevic said a contractor is going to be returning to his house next week to make sure the bats are gone.

"I just worry about my neighbors who are next," he said.

Bats typically return to the same area each year. Milicevic is considering building a bat house in his backyard, so if the bats do come back, they’ll go there, and not into his home.

Cox Media Group