Bat In Your House?

On occasion, a bat may go off course and find his way into your home. Don’t panic. Stay calm and learn how to remove him safely and humanely. Why should you treat bats humanely?

Bats serve a greater good for everyone, including humans. They eat a lot of insects. That means fewer insects to gnaw on you. Farmers like bats because they can use fewer pesticides on their crops, which saves the farmers a ton of money. And by dispersing seeds, bats are helping rebuild rainforests that humans have cut down.

What To Do

If you see a bat flying around, try not to panic. The first thing to do is to keep your pets and children away. It’s probably best to move them to another room with a shut door.

The bat might land on your curtains or furniture and then take flight again. Remain calm. Get a pair of thick, sturdy gloves made out of leather or something similar, not cotton that he can bite through to your finger.

Tip: The bat will tend to fly higher near the walls and lower in the center of the room, so keep near a wall.

The bat probably isn’t any happier about being in your house than you, so first of all, give him a way outside. Close all interior doors in your home. If the bat doesn’t leave on his own, wait until he lands to try and catch him.

WHERE DID HE GO?

Bats will most likely land somewhere they can hang. Curtains, upholstered furniture, hanging clothes, maybe even in a house plant. Carefully place a plastic tub or similar container over him, then gently work a piece of cardboard or stiff paper under the container to trap the bat inside.

PLEASE LEAVE NOW

Take the probably-now-terrified bat outside to release him gently to freedom. You’ll have to tilt the container or allow him to climb a tree trunk or other vertical surface because bats can’t take flight from the ground.

INSPECTION TIME

Now that he is happily back outside, head back into your home and find out how he got in. (And by the way, if there’s a chance someone got bitten, contact your local animal control agency about getting tested for rabies.) Common entry points include openings or gaps that lead to attics or cellars. Check these attics and cellars to make sure no more bats are in your home. If there is one bat, there is a good chance that you have more. Bats tend to be very quiet, so you might not be aware that they are nesting in your house until they have been there for a while. The scent of ammonia, unexplained odors, stained holes, and squeaking sounds are signs that you might be experiencing a bat infestation in your home.

Wondering how bats can live in your house without food? Depending on the time of year and the climate, bats can live over six months without food and water!

NO BATS HERE

Once you’ve established there are no bats trapped inside and no openings for new bats to enter, seal all gaps and openings, and feel good knowing you’re an awesome human being for helping this winged creature out of your home in such a humane way.

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