Woman Finds Bat in Christmas Tree


Dec 5, 7:42 AM (ET)


NIPOMO, Calif. (AP) - Sheila Kearns had a Christmas tree delivered to her home on Sunday. She says she thought she'd been pricked by pine needles when she reached into the tree while decorating it. But the next morning, she found a bat hanging upside down in her home.

It turns out that the Christmas tree farm Kearns bought from keeps bats around for pest control and that one unwittingly hitched a ride to her home.

Animal control officials picked up the bat, which tested negative for rabies.

Kearns got a tetanus shot and some antibiotics, but says she's not fazed. She says she'll keep buying her trees from the same farm.


batty surprise

It's a shame they had to put the animal down for the rabies test.

I've heard of squirrels being in xmas trees, thats the first I've heard of a bat being one. Geez .. luckily the bat didn't have rabies.

That is so COOL!

My house would be destroyed because my cats would be chasing a bat!

Wait, maybe cool isn't the right word...

Yeah! Cool is a good word.. it was spice up my holiday for sure... I'd have 4 cats going bonkers trying to catch the damn thing... it would be like a scene from The Great Outdoors...

I'd take a bat over a squirrel hands down.

why? squirrels are cuter

they might be cute, but they can be vicious little buggers... I'd rather have a bat flying around...

no I once had a bat trapped in my house, trust me it ain't fun

I found a injured bat a few years ago some evils kids were trying to stomp it to death until I stopped them. I took a stick to its mouth and it bit down on it I slowly put him in a box and took it to the nature center I really got a close look at him/her and I think they are cute I called a few days later to see how he was comming along well they said he was good but one of the kids hurt his wing so they were going to keep for about a week. A week later he was fine and let go I just thought I would share that with you they arn't so bad it looked like he was glade I came along. I have tried to save many animals and will keep doing so I really love them.

I've heard of a case where there was a nest of birds in a christmas tree, and one where there was a wild cat. Some weird stuff can be found in christmas trees, thats why mine are all artificial.

Oh, but I bet it would be a lot easier than catching a squirrel...I've had bats in the house as well... and the trick is turning on all the lights... they will immediately go and hang somewhere, then you just scoop them into a container and let them loose outside.

who has their christmas tree this early?

didn't I just answer this question?

I thought there was a bat in our tree once until I realized there was a mirror behind it and it was my wifes reflection.

EVIL!

You are too funny SwampGator.

The worst we ever had in our Christmas trees (back in my youth when we had a real tree) was the egg case of a preying mantis. The thing hatched - I guess with the warmth of the house - and there were hudreds of tiny baby mantisses (manti?) all over the place.

^^ that is definitely worse than a kitten-infested fir tree...

I think praying mantid are cool BUT I would not want a zillion of them hatching into my house under any circumstances. Cuh-reeepy. *shudders*

Me, I got my tree on the second of this month

bats are cooler squirrels bite nuts hehe

maybe the bat was a leftover decoration from halloween