San Antonio woman discovers bat colony inside her home

SAN ANTONIO (WOAI) - When people think of bats, they usually think of them living in caves or under bridges. But a San Antonio woman says a bat colony is growing right under her roof.

They're the houseguests that have stayed past their welcome.

"Usually, it's the attic,” said Fran Hutchins, director of Bracken Cave Reserve. “It's a nice, hot roost, so they'll gravitate towards those spaces."

But in this case, they weren't invited.

"I made it a point to come out and I saw them," explained homeowner Lisa Marie Vargas.

What she saw was a swarm of bats coming out of her home.

"Mexican Free Tail bats in the area like manmade structures," Hutchins said.

“I called around to get an estimate, and it was pretty expensive,” said Vargas. “So, I thought, 'I'm going to see if they go away by themselves.'"

But the bats didn't go away. So, she forked over the $525 and hired Texas Rodent Control to get rid of the unwanted houseguests.

"They were here two days in a row,” Vargas said. “They went in my attic, through the interior, they put a net on the exterior. They came back the next day to check and then we thought they were gone."

Most people think bats are large when they see them flying, but it only takes a quarter-size hole for a bat to enter through. Unfortunately for Vargas, the bats came back.

“I don't understand why of all of these beautiful homes, mine is the one the bats are attracted to," added Vargas.

So, of course, pest control is scheduled to come back. But they better hurry, because June is the time bats start having babies.