Whidbey Island, WA couple buys house filled with 1000s of bats
WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. - Halloween may be over, but a couple moving to Whidbey Island experienced a real-life horror story. They thought they’d be making a fresh start, but there were skeletons in the closet, and in the walls, and in the attic: bat skeletons, along with actual living bats.
The couple told FOX 13 they got an inspection before they moved in, and the inspector found evidence of rodents. It turned out those rodents were actually bats, thousands of bats.
Tom Riecken and Mackenzie Powell's home on Whidbey Island
Tom Riecken and Mackenzie Powell moved back into their house three weeks ago. They bought the house in April 2023.
"I was just watching these bats pouring out," Powell said. The bats were getting into their home through the roof. "It was like a stadium entrance for the bats," Riecken said.
Tom Riecken and Mackenzie Powell
"We received, between the bat exclusionists, roofers and restorations companies, close to $200,000 in quotes, which is more than the down payment on this house, so we had to start getting creative."
Tom Riecken and Mackenzie Powell's Whidbey Island home
Armed with crowbars, they got to work, tearing out drywall, removing insulation and getting rid of the guano.
"It was December of last year and instead of wrapping Christmas presents, we were unwrapping our walls, and instead of glitter and sugar plum fairies it was bat poop," Riecken said.
Tom Riecken and Mackenzie Powell's Whidbey Island home
Fast forward to today, and the entire house is bat free. When the couple first bought the house, their son was just 6 months old and now, he’s almost 2.
"One of his first words, not his first word, but one of his first 30 words, was ‘bat,’" Riecken said. "It’s really become a big part of our family story."
Tom Riecken and Mackenzie Powell's Whidbey Island home
They’re sharing their story because they’re really hoping to raise awareness about what happened and help anyone who may be buying a house right now.
"There’s always a way out, but if you have people around you supporting you, and you’re willing to work, you can get through anything," the couple said.
Tom Riecken and Mackenzie Powell's Whidbey Island home
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