Immediate Steps to Take When You Have a Bat in Your House
Stay Calm:
Take a deep breath and assess the situation. Avoid panicking to ensure clear thinking.Isolate the Bat:
If possible, gently confine the bat to one room by closing the door to that room and barricading the bottom with a rolled towel or similar barrier. This helps prevent the bat from escaping the room by crawling under the door. Then go to step 5.Open Windows and Exterior Doors:
If step 2 is not possible, such as when the bat is in a large open space, open any accessible windows and exterior doors in the room to create a clear exit path, encouraging the bat to fly out naturally.Avoid Direct Contact:
Do not handle the bat with your bare hands. Bats can carry diseases such as rabies. If you must attempt to remove the bat, ensure you wear long sleeves, long pants, and gloves.Call Your Local Animal Control:
Contact your local animal control immediately. They are equipped to safely handle wildlife situations and can guide you on the next steps.(Optional) Gently Use a Broom and Blanket:
If you’re experienced and feel safe, you may try to gently guide the bat toward an exit using a broom, and or cover it with a lightweight blanket and release it outside. This should only be attempted as a last resort while maintaining protective clothing to avoid direct contact.Seek Professional Bat Removal Services:
After managing the immediate situation, schedule an inspection with a professional bat removal service. This is critical to determine whether the bat in the home was an isolated incident or if there is a larger infestation problem within your home.
Detailed Explanation and Additional Advice
When a bat is found in your home, it's important to act quickly and cautiously. Here’s a closer look at the immediate steps:
1. Stay Calm
A calm response is key. Panicking can lead to erratic movements that may further stress the bat, increasing the risk of bites or scratches.
2. Isolate the Bat
By confining the bat to a single room and barricading the door (using a rolled towel or similar item), you minimize the bat's movement within your home. This step not only protects you but also makes it easier to guide the bat toward an exit.
3. Open Windows and Exterior Doors
Creating an open exit is essential. Bats naturally seek open spaces and are very sensitive to airflow changes, so by opening windows and doors, you encourage the bat to leave on its own.
4. Avoid Direct Contact
Direct handling of bats is risky, as they can transmit serious diseases like rabies. Always use protective gear if any direct intervention is absolutely necessary.
5. Call Your Local Animal Control
Animal control professionals are trained to deal with wildlife safely. They can advise you on immediate actions and help ensure that the bat is handled in compliance with local regulations.
6. (Optional) Use a Broom and Blanket
For those who are experienced and confident, gently guiding the bat with a broom and/or covering it with a blanket and then releasing it outside can help fix the situation. However, extreme caution is needed to prevent injury or disease transmission.
7. Seek Professional Bat Removal Services
Even if the immediate situation is resolved, it's crucial to have a professional inspect your home ASAP. A professional bat removal service will assess your property for potential entry points and determine if there is an underlying infestation. This inspection is the only way to ensure that any structural vulnerabilities are addressed to prevent future bat problems.
Why Professional Bat Removal Is Necessary
While these immediate steps can help manage a bat incident, a bat in your home is often a sign of a larger problem. Here’s why professional bat removal is essential:
Comprehensive Inspection:
Professionals perform detailed inspections to identify every gap or entry point, no matter how small, as bats can squeeze through openings as tiny as a pinky finger or the width of a number two pencil.Long-Term Solutions:
Bat exclusion involves not just removing the bats but also sealing off all potential entry points, ensuring that bats do not re-establish a roost in your home.Safety and Compliance:
Licensed professionals use humane, legally compliant methods to remove bats, protecting both your family and the bats. This approach minimizes health risks and ensures ethical treatment of wildlife as bats are federally protected and should not be killed.Preventing Future Infestations:
A thorough exclusion process, followed by regular inspections and maintenance, is the only way to safeguard your home against recurring bat problems.
In summary, if you see a bat inside your home, the first steps are crucial for immediate safety. However, the long-term solution lies in professional bat removal, which not only clears your home but also addresses the underlying issues that allow bats to enter in the first place. By ensuring that your home is properly sealed and maintained, you can significantly reduce the risk of future infestations.
Conclusion
When faced with a bat in your home, quick and careful action is paramount. Follow the steps outlined above—stay calm, isolate the bat, open windows for an exit, avoid direct contact, and contact local animal control immediately. For those confident enough to gently guide the bat out, always take necessary precautions with proper protective gear. Ultimately, having your home inspected by a professional bat removal service is the best way to determine whether this incident is isolated or indicative of a larger problem.
Professional bat removal offers a comprehensive solution that addresses not only the immediate situation but also the long-term prevention of bat infestations. By sealing all entry points and ensuring your home is bat-proofed, you can protect your property and maintain a safe, healthy living environment. Remember, while bats may still fly near your home as they search for food, a properly excluded home significantly reduces the risk of them roosting where you don’t want them - living with you.