If a bat is present in your home, contact an animal-control or public health agency for assistance. It may be important to capture the bat for rabies testing, especially if a potential bite or exposure has occurred. Sometimes, professional help may be unavailable. In such cases, use precautions to capture the bat safely, as described below.
To begin, you will need:
- leather work gloves (put them on)
- small box or coffee can
- piece of cardboard
- tape
The steps you should take to capture the bat are:
- When the bat lands, approach it slowly, while wearing the gloves, and place the box or coffee can over it.
- Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside.
- Tape the cardboard to the container securely, and punch small holes in the cardboard, allowing the bat to breathe.
When no potential exposure has occurred, the bat can be safely released outside. If a bite or exposure to saliva (e.g., into a person's mouth, eyes or a fresh wound) has occurred, your health department or animal-control authority should be contacted to make arrangements for rabies testing.
The presence of the CDC logo and CDC content on this page should not be construed to imply endorsement by the US Government of any commercial products or services, or to replace the advice of a medical professional. The mark “CDC” is licensed under authority of the PHS.
If a bat is present in your home, contact an animal-control or
public health agency for assistance. It may be important to capture
the bat for rabies testing, especially if a potential bite or
exposure has occurred. Sometimes, professional...
More
If a bat is present in your home, contact an animal-control or public health agency for assistance. It may be important to capture the bat for rabies testing, especially if a potential bite or exposure has occurred. Sometimes, professional help may be unavailable. In such cases, use precautions to capture the bat safely, as described below.
