When Cathy Lloyd bought her Chinchilla home 46 years ago she thought it was a tropical paradise, but the arrival of thousands of flying foxes has turned it into a "war zone".
Ms Lloyd said her property on Queensland's Western Downs had become "almost uninhabitable" in recent years, with the walls of her house splattered with bat faeces.
"To do anything in the backyard, I have to use the beach umbrella," she said.
"It's so bad when you stand up there, the urine just sounds like falling rain on the umbrella.
"The stench is horrible. You can smell it all through the house."
'I just can't take it'
Ms Lloyd said her home was on two average-sized allotments and the flying foxes had taken over the back section where she had planned to rent out a cottage.
"That can't be used, it's uninhabitable," she said.
"I've got a covering over my clothesline too so I can hang the washing out because my dryer broke.
"They're always screeching, they quite often sound as though someone's being murdered."
Ms Lloyd said the Western Downs Regional Council had carried out two dispersals to ease the situation but the bats returned at the start of winter.
Under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act, local governments have an as-of-right authority to manage flying fox roosts in urban areas.
The methods, however, must be non-lethal.
"We tried everything to get rid of them — smoke, light, noise. Nothing seems to work," Ms Lloyd said.
"There's a plague of them.
"I know they're good for the ecosystem, but this is not natural."
Call for urgent action
Local MP Colin Boyce said he had been contacted by residents of Chinchilla and Calliope about the "ever-increasing" problem with flying fox colonies.
"I am also very frustrated that nothing can be done to help," he said.
"It is my belief that flying foxes should be removed from the endangered species list to give councils the flexibility to deal with the problems as they arise.
"This issue needs to be addressed by the new State Government as a matter of priority."
Flying foxes play important ecological role
A Department of Environment and Science spokesperson said it provided advice and assistance to councils to best manage flying foxes in their local government areas.
"Little red flying foxes are a protected species under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and play an important ecological role in pollinating native trees," the spokesperson said.
"Flying fox dispersals can sometimes take considerable time and effort before they are successful.
"Timing and understanding flying fox behaviour are factors critical to success."
The spokesperson said DES wildlife officers had advised Chinchilla residents and local councillors on mitigation measures to reduce the likelihood of the flying foxes returning to backyards.
"These measures include reducing foliage in trees and minimising areas for the flying foxes to roost," the spokesperson said.
"Little red flying foxes form larger camps during the breeding period in October to November which reduce in size as the birthing period approaches.
"It is also important to remember that this species is highly nomadic and that most of them will move on again."
A Western Downs Regional Council spokesperson reiterated flying foxes were protected, which restricted their management and relocation.
"Council has previously undertaken several relocation attempts in the area and is continuing to work with the community to manage the issue."
