Rats vs. Bats

Move over Fat Rat Ray and friends...looks like someone has taken your place.

At one point last week we had 3 separate bunches of bananas recently cut from the tree when the last leaf falls. They’re making the slow change from green to the wonderful shade of ripened yellow.

In the very recent past, the bananas have taken refuge in our laundry room only to be stalked by rats, so we moved to hanging them on the front porch. At least this way, I’m thinking, if Fat Rat Ray & Co. want to have a party they can meet sociably on the front porch instead of sneaking around to the back and disturbing my sleep near our bedroom.

 But last week...in the middle of the night we began hearing the strangest, creepiest, loudest swooshing sounds. I would lay in bed thinking, “Um. I really don’t want to know what that is.” Of course in my half awake mind I was conjuring up all sorts of huge insects, birds or even some foreign creature I knew nothing about...yet. Then one night, awakened again by the sound, it hit me...”that sounds like a BAT flying!” Don’t ask me how I deducted a bat and not something else.

Sure enough, the next morning at least six or seven of our beautiful bananas were completely butchered. The sight was disturbing. At least FRR was neat...and only ate one or two at a time!

Same song, different verse for Sunday and then about 3 a.m. Monday morning, here comes the swoosh sound again. Jason gets up, looks out the window and says, much more calmly than I ever would, “Yeah...that’s not a rat eating our bananas. That’s a bat.”  He had seen the bat fly right past our window straight to the front porch.

Surprisingly I went back to sleep after that disturbing confirmation.

Then next morning the scene was worse...more bananas missing half of themselves. Perfectly delicious bananas that will never see the inside of a good bread or smoothie.

I discussed my problem with the sweet lady that helps us here at the house, Rita. She finds my recent antics with God’s creation entertaining. I can only imagine the stories she tells her friends. Rita also referred to this bat as a flying fox:

 

Rita further explained that if I was fast enough, I could kill the bat with a spear and cook it up for dinner.

She's a funny lady that Rita is.

 

When Rita figured out I wouldn't be digesting a flying fox any time soon, she suggested covering the bananas with a plastic bag until they’re ripe.

So I did...and I waited for bedtime.

 

Around 3 a.m., this bat who is consistent and punctual, flies by our window. I lay half awake in bed...waiting. Moments later, I hear him swoosh by again. At this point there was a child needing something, so I took the opportunity to peek out the front window on my way through the living room. 

Score one for Rita! The bananas were still in tact...bag untouched...and I’m sure there's one upset (and super confused) bat flying around.

First rats, now the bats...or flying foxes...let's not ask what could be next.