Dominique

Our houses are built awesomely cool…temperature wise. There is about two feet of screen between where the walls stop and the roof begins allowing for air to blow through, giving us natural air conditioning. However, there is a small gap between where the screen stops and the roof begins. It is just enough space for small animals to fit through. 

Periodically during the day, we have birds in our house (many of which are beautiful blue and yellow birds). At night, there are a few bats that make the rounds between our houses. It’s pretty much clockwork. Around 6:45-7pm, right at dusk when you can barely see, two or three bats come soaring into our house. Initially, I was fearful of them. I knew that bats carried rabies, and I was convinced that they were here to attack us.

One night in particular, as Laura and I were sitting on our porch as the sun was setting, we were suddenly dive bombed by three bats. It was seriously like they were fighter jets coming straight at us, as one grazed my back. We quickly moved our chairs outside. (noting that it is bad that we made the conscious decision to be out among the mosquitoes instead of being in a confined space with the bats.

On another night, while Laura and I were still sleeping in the tent, I was rudely awakened by a smack of something against the tent. Whatever it was scurried up the side. After a few minutes of debating what it could be (a mouse, bat, snake, bird, lizard or large insect), we realized that it was a bat that was chasing bugs. This continued throughout the night. Every time we’d hear the smack of the bat landing on the tent, either Laura or I, half asleep, would whack the side of the tent to knock the bat off…thus the invention of the game, whack-a-bat.

Then one day, after moving into my own room, things changed. I realized that the bats were flying through the house just trying to eat bugs. I greatly welcomed this! I noticed that one of the bats had taken up residence on one of the strings that held up my mosquito net.  So naturally, I had to name him. After much deliberation, I decided on the name Dominique. Every Friday night I watch a movie (gotta try to mix things up on the weekends). The light from my laptop draws many bugs, and after a short while, the outside of my mosquito net is covered. Dominique then feasts. It is fascinating to watch him land on the outside of the net and crawl along the side eating all the bugs his heart desires.

However, Dominique has moved out of my house. The short term team that was here was able to finish bat-proofing our house (extending the screen all the way to the roof), which is super awesome. Dominique is missed at times, but I am so thankful that my house is a little more secure against small creatures.

Bat-proofing process

Dominique!