Bat In The House? An Important Reminder On What To Do

Bats have a way of showing up in the headlines every fall, and it isn't only because they're hanging from every porch and Halloween decoration this time of year.

There's a real reason the season brings more bat encounters, and a little know-how goes a long way if one turns up somewhere it shouldn't.

As temperatures drop across Minnesota and Wisconsin, bats start hunting for a warm place to spend the winter. Some migrate, and others settle in to hibernate, and the snug gaps in an attic, chimney, or wall look an awful lot like the roosts they're after.

That's why wildlife experts say late summer into fall is the busiest stretch for bats getting into homes. Health officials have been paying attention, too.

Bats are the leading source of human rabies cases in the country, and the CDC recently reported a 17% jump in rabies-related inquiries this summer compared to last. The warnings to look but never touch have only gotten louder.

And if that weren't enough to get your attention, we just had a close call in the region. A rabid bat was found on a downtown Minneapolis sidewalk this month, sending health officials scrambling to track down the people who handled it.

Encounters like that are unique, but having a bat in your home isn't nearly as rare, so it's worth knowing what to do if you discover a bat inside your home.

When It's Just A Bat Alone In A Room

If a lone bat is swooping around and no people or pets have had contact with it, the Minnesota DNR says the easiest fix is usually to let it show itself out.

Close the doors to other rooms to keep it contained, open a window or exterior door, dim the lights so it doesn't hide behind furniture, and stay calm and quiet while it finds the opening.

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If it won't leave on its own, wait for it to land, then place a container or coffee can over it and slide a piece of stiff cardboard underneath to trap it. Wear leather gloves the entire time, never bare hands, and release it outside. Whatever you do, don't swat at it, which only puts you closer to those teeth.

When A Bat Shares A Room With Someone

The trickier situation is when there's any chance a person was exposed, and this is where the calm shoo-it-outside approach stops.

The DNR advises capturing the bat for rabies testing, not releasing it, if someone woke up with a bat in the room, if a young child or anyone who couldn't reliably report a bite was alone with it, or if the bat looks sick or can't fly well.

Here's the part that catches people off guard: bat bites can be so small they're painless and invisible, so "I don't think it touched me" isn't proof you're in the clear.

In those cases, safely contain the bat without damaging its head, then call your county health department for testing instructions and contact your healthcare provider.

SEE NOW: Minnesota Officials Now Looking For Woman Who Handled Rabid Bat

Rabies is preventable with prompt treatment but nearly always fatal once symptoms appear, so it's not a wait-and-see situation.

Seal It Up So It Doesn't Happen Again

Once the immediate visitor is handled, the goal is keeping the next one out. The DNR recommends finding and sealing entry points, keeping chimney dampers closed when they're not in use, and checking screens, soffits, and gaps around the roofline.

It's worth remembering that while bats can transmit rabies, they are good to have around, gobbling up mosquitoes and other insects by the thousands, so the aim is to keep them out of the house, not to harm them.

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The bottom line is a reassuring one. Most bat encounters end with a harmless little houseguest heading back out into the night, and knowing the difference between "open a window" and "get it tested" is really all it takes to handle one calmly this fall.