Removing bats from your home

GETTING A BAT OUT OF YOUR HOME

It’s common for bats to end up in your house during the summer. Bats will look for a place to nest and raise their young. You can remove a bat without harming yourself or the animal.

When it's just one bat, open a window and seal off the room. You may want to put a towel under the door. The bat will circle the room a few times and then fly out. Don't worry — bats don't attack people, and it won't fly into your hair.

If the bat disappears, it’s probably hiding behind a curtain or in a small space. Take the same steps as above and turn off the lights. Once it's dark outside, the bat will feel comfortable and leave.

When a bat lands on a curtain or other vertical surface, you can catch it in a jar. Cover the bat with the jar, gently work it inside, then cover the jar. To safely pick up a bat from the floor, you can use a towel or leather gloves. Bats will usually make loud noises when you touch them. This is normal.

WHEN YOU SHOULDN'T RELEASE A BAT

In most cases, it's safe to catch and release a bat. There are a few situations where you shouldn't release it:

• if you found the bat in the room with a sleeping person
• if there are small children or animals in the house, or
• if someone in your house had direct contact with the bat.

In these cases, call our department and we'll test the bat for rabies. If you can't find the bat, you should call your doctor and get tested.

We'll dispatch an officer to your house only if a bat comes in contact with humans or pets. Call us at 617-635-5348. We can refer you to an on-call agent if it's after business hours.