Herbie Murray
Bats are fascinating creatures that can sometimes end up in human dwellings, causing a bit of a panic for the residents. While bats are not known for carrying diseases, it is important to take precautions when dealing with them. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to wake up and evict a sleeping bat from your home, there are a few steps you should follow to ensure the safety of both yourself and the bat. The process involves carefully containing the bat, releasing it outdoors, and taking the necessary precautions to protect your health.
How to wake up a sleeping bat
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Bats found indoors | Likely to be a crevice-dwelling species, usually grey or brown in colour |
| Bats found outdoors | Could be foliage-roosting bats with multi-coloured fur or shades of reds, yellows and tans |
| Bats found on the ground | Could be mothers with young, or grounded after blue-jay attacks or storms |
| Bats and rabies | Bats can carry rabies, a potentially deadly disease. If you are bitten, seek medical attention immediately |
| Capturing a bat | Wear thick gloves or use a thick towel to pick up the bat and place it in a box or container with a lid |
| Releasing a bat | Open a window and let the bat fly out on its own. Do not touch the bat |
| Bats and echolocation | Bats navigate using echolocation, so you may be at a disadvantage if you wait until dark to evict one from your home |
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What You'll Learn
Capture the bat without touching it
If you find a bat in your home, it is recommended that you capture and test it for rabies if you were sleeping in the room when it appeared. This is because, if you were asleep, you cannot reliably rule out physical contact with the bat.
- Wait until the bat is motionless. Bats are almost impossible to catch when they are flying, and you are more likely to injure the bat if you attempt to capture it while it is airborne.
- Do not use your hands to capture the bat. Instead, gently touch a small tree branch (two to three feet in length) to the bat's feet. This will usually initiate a grab reflex, and the bat will grip the branch with its toes.
- Once the bat is gripping the branch, slowly move it to the branches of a nearby tree, ideally at at least eight feet from the ground with a clearing below to enable the bat to take flight.
- If you are unable to guide the bat outdoors, you can try to capture it with a container. Place the container over the bat, then take it outdoors, being careful not to tilt the container as you do so.
- Once you are outdoors, lift the container over your head and tilt it to the side so the bat can fly out. Do not release the bat during the day or during cold or bad weather, as it may be unable to fly.
- If the bat does not fly away or seems unable to fly, it may be injured, dehydrated, or starved. Use a towel or gloves to pick up the bat and place it back in the container. Keep the bat in a safe place away from children, pets, and other hazards, and contact a local wildlife rescue or rehabilitation organization for further assistance.
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Wear gloves or use a towel
If you need to wake a sleeping bat, it is important to remember that you should never handle a bat with your bare hands. Bats are a common carrier of rabies, and while the risk of contracting the disease from a bat is low, it is still a possibility. Therefore, it is crucial to take precautions and wear gloves or use a towel when handling a bat.
When you put on gloves, ensure they are thick enough to protect you from scratches and bites. Leather or gardening gloves are good options. If you don't have access to gloves, you can also use a towel. Take a small towel and drape it over your hand, ensuring that your fingers and palm are covered. This will provide a barrier between your skin and the bat, protecting you from any potential scratches or bites.
Once you have your gloves or towel in place, you can then gently wake the bat. Start by gently prodding the bat with your gloved hand or the towel. If it doesn't stir, you can try gently blowing on it or using a small amount of water to sprinkle on it. Be cautious not to startle the bat, as it may become disoriented and confused, which could lead to erratic behavior.
If the bat still doesn't wake up, you may need to take further action. Try offering a small treat, such as a piece of fruit or a drop of honey, to entice the bat to wake up and move. You can also try gently stroking the bat's back or wings with your gloved hand or the towel. Remember to be gentle and patient throughout the process, as bats are sensitive creatures.
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Do not wait until dark
If you find a bat in your home, it is important to act quickly, especially if you live in North America, where bat rabies is more common. Do not wait until dark—the bats will navigate better than you at night using echolocation.
First, quietly approach the bat, wearing thick gloves or using a thick towel. Gather the bat securely but not tightly, and place it into a box or similar container with a lid. If the bat is on a wall or ceiling, simply place a box or can over it, then slide a piece of cardboard between the wall and the box. Turn the box right side up, keeping the cardboard in place.
If the bat is captured during the day, release it outdoors immediately. Bats found indoors are most likely crevice-dwelling species, usually grey or brown. If the bat is captured at night, wait until nightfall to release it. Use a flashlight to watch it fly away. If the bat does not fly away or seems unable to, it may be injured, dehydrated, or starved. Keep the bat in a closed container, away from children and pets, and call a local wildlife rehabilitator for assistance.
If you are ever bitten by a bat, or if bat saliva comes into contact with your eyes, nose, or mouth, seek medical attention immediately. If you are sleeping and a bat enters the room, capture it without touching it, or kill it, and seek medical advice.
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Bats may carry rabies
It is important to be able to recognise the signs of rabies in bats. Unusual behaviour, such as a bat being active during the day, finding a bat inside your home or on the ground, or a bat that is unable to fly or is easily approached, could indicate that it has rabies. If you notice any of these strange behaviours, it is recommended to contact animal control or your local public health department. Do not attempt to touch or handle the bat. Bats navigate well at night using echolocation, so it is best to act quickly and not disturb the bat while you make your preparations to evict it.
If you are bitten by a bat, or if its saliva or brain material comes into contact with your eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound, it is critical to seek urgent medical attention. Wash the affected area with soap and water, and capture the bat if possible, without touching it, to send for rabies testing. If you cannot capture the bat, seek advice from your local health department. It is also recommended to ""bat-proof" your home by sealing any openings larger than a dime, using screens and draft guards to prevent bats from entering.
While bat rabies is extremely rare in the UK, it is more prevalent in North America, with a 5% chance of a bat carrying rabies. It is always better to be cautious and avoid contact with bats and other wildlife to protect yourself from this deadly disease.
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Call a wildlife rehabilitator
If you find a bat in your home, it is important to exercise caution. While bats rarely carry rabies, it is a possibility, and you should not handle the bat with your bare hands. If you find a bat in your bedroom, it is recommended that you contain the bat and call your local health department for advice.
If you find a bat pup that appears to need help, you can refer to guides on how to reunite it with its mother. If the pup has not been retrieved a few hours after sundown, it needs to be rescued and taken to a rehabilitator. Any pup found alone and away from a colony needs to be rescued.
For adult bats, there are certain circumstances in which you should call a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. If the bat has been caught by a cat, even if it appears uninjured, or if it is out of its roost and the temperature is below 50°F (10°C), you should call a rehabilitator. If the bat has not moved out of the area a few hours past sundown, it may also need rescuing.
In the Baltimore region in Maryland, you can call the Phoenix Wildlife Center (410-628-9736) for assistance. In other regions of Virginia, you can visit the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources website for a list of permitted wildlife rehabilitators or use the Animal Help Now app or website. Bat World Sanctuary also maintains a national list of bat helpers.
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Frequently asked questions
It is not advisable to wake up a sleeping bat. Bats can sleep up to 19 and a half hours a day, and they may carry rabies. If you need to evict a bat from your home, wear thick gloves or use a thick towel to gently place the bat into a box or container with a lid.
If you find a sleeping bat, do not disturb it. Quietly approach the bat, and wearing thick gloves or using a thick towel, place it into a box or similar container with a lid. If the bat is active, you can also place a box, waste can, or coffee can over the bat and use a piece of cardboard to gently slide it between the box and the surface the bat is on.
If you find a bat in your house, do not touch it. Bats in the US and Canada have a 5% chance of carrying rabies. If you were sleeping in the room with the bat, you must seek immediate medical attention, as you cannot prove that you were not bitten in your sleep. If possible, capture the bat without touching it and send it to a laboratory for testing.
