It has been more than a year since I hung a bag of red chillies in my porch to discourage Common Fruit Bats (Cynopterus brachyotis) from roosting.
Initially the bats came but left immediately. However, within a month less than a handfull returned and roosted, polluting the floor. By then the chillies had dried. So a fresh bag was hung that lasted less than 2 months before they dried up and became ineffective.
A few bats did return on and off, so I gave up hanging new bags of chillies.
Eventually the bats disappeared altogether, except for a few strays now and then. My porch is generally free of roosting bats for about 9 months now.
The image above shows the old bags of chilles left hanging from the rafters.
YC Wee
Singapore
11th June 2016
Kimosabe
They may get to love chillies and come back with more of their friends! Heh, heh!!
YC Wee
In that case I will hang a cold can of Tiger…
Q
Does this work if I hang a bag of chili on my chiku tree in my front yard? 🙂
YC Wee
It is not a confined space and the chillies may not have any effect. Maybe many bags of chillies? Should you try, let me know the results.
Am
Why do they not like chilli?
YC Wee
Spicy lah! Possibly bats can detect the spiciness through smell.
Am
I see! Interesting! (Especially since many of us humans love the spiciness.) What about birds? Are birds averse to chilli?
YC Wee
Check this out… http://www.besgroup.org/2009/02/26/7281/
Am
Interesting!!! I have never known of birds (or any animal for that matter) eating chillis before! It’s strange how the bats are so averse to it yet some birds quite obviously don’t mind it at all!