What Should You Do If You Find A Bat In Your House In Western New York?

Officials are warning people about an increase in bat encounters in houses in Western New York. Do you know what you should do if you should find one in your home?

The Erie County Health Department was alerting people today on social media about an increase in bat encounters and reminding them that the bats could be infected with rabies.

How do bats get in houses?

It's not common to find a bat in your house. However, they can crawl through small gaps in your roof or simply fly through open windows or doors. They're normally nocturnal animals that live outside and love to eat insects. They're not normally dangerous and can be helpful to have around.

However, the threat of rabies can make people unsure about how to handle a bat if they find one.

What should you do if you find a bat in your house?

Your safest bet when you find a bat in your house is to isolate the room that it's in. Close all the interior doors so that it doesn't fly all over the house. Normally, they'll tell you to open the windows to that room and turn off the lights to avoid the bat being disoriented. Then just wait for it to fly out on its own.

However, the Erie County Health Department is saying that if you find a bat near someone who was sleeping or if a child or pet may have had direct contact with it, you should try to contain it safely. Then call them so they can examine it and check if it has rabies.

"Bats are the most common animal found to have rabies in Erie County, but they are also the most easily caught and tested." - message from the Erie County Health Department

Be sure to wear thick gloves while dealing with the bat and try not to touch it at all. Instead try to contain it by placing a rigid container over the bat, then sliding something like a piece of cardboard under the container to trap it inside.

Then call (716) 961-6800.