Bat flying in your house and it’s 3 am? This is probably one of the worst ways to be awakened, but you can end the situation quickly and safely without having to call anyone.

What’s actually happening?

Most people who have had a bat flying around their home aren’t happy about it.  After all a bat flying in your house is a problem.  Here are the categories most homeowners fall into when this happens

1. It’s August  and young bats have begun to test their wings and mistakenly emerge on the inside of the home instead of the outside
2. It’s winter and you have a solo big brown bat male that is in the wrong place
3. There is a large population and a bat emerged through a crack inside the home.  The three most likely entrance points are attic hatches, fireplace frames and open gas fireplace dampers
4. A window or door was left wide open and the bat mistakenly flew inside (not as common as you’d think)

Keep your wits about you with a bat flying in your house

The first and hardest thing you must do, is not panic.  A bat doesn’t want to be in your home anymore than you want him there.  Knowing this you must take some steps to help the bat get out.  This process is not hard if you know what to do.

1. Isolate the bat to one room or area
2. Open the doors and windows so that bat can use it’s echolocation to escape
3. Watch where the bat lands.

The bat flying in your house won’t leave

A lot of homeowners will tell us that they opened window and doors, but the bat flying around your house won’t leave.  If this is your situation you must watch and wait for the bat to land.  Here’s what to do after they have

1. Put on a thick winter glove (welders gloves and thick leather gloves work best) as well as long sleeves
2. Get a cardboard box (preferably a small shoe box) and a flat cardboard sheet
3. Wait until the bait lands and cover him with the box.  Once covered slide the sheet of cardboard under the box and trap the bat inside
4. Let the bat go outside

What not to do if you have a bat inside

The vast majority of people when confronted with this situation do one of a few things.  They call EMS or an exterminator.  The truth is that EMS likely won’t come and exterminators typically don’t have 24 hour services.  While your trying to get someone the bat is likely to disappear somewhere in your home making it difficult if not impossible to find.

Final thought on bats in your home

While bats are not dangerous and typically DO NOT HAVE RABIES there is a <1% chance they could.

For this reason always make sure that there hasn’t been direct human contact with a bat.  If there has been the bat must be captured and tested or the person MUST receive a rabies vaccine within the coming hours of the event.  Homeowners can call the Nuisance Wildlife Division of CT DEEP for more information.