A bat is in my house but I don’t know where it is. How can I find the bat and get it out?

Never fear! The experts are here. First, you need to locate where the bat is in the house.

When trying to locate the bat make sure to use thick, preferably leather, gloves and a flashlight, and NEVER put your hand somewhere before looking.

Here are some places you should check:

Check high first, behind curtains and wall hangings.
Check low, on the floor under items (bats can crawl).
Generally bats can be anywhere, and they can fit in holes with diameters of 3/8 inch.

If the bat begins to fly, stay calm. Do not let the bat out of the house unless you are certain that no one has been exposed to the bat, and you should consult your state’s health department for the bat rabies protocols.

Protective leather gloves

Wait for the bat to tire and land.
Wearing thick, leather gloves, use a large-mouth glass or plastic container to trap the bat.
Then, take a stiff piece of paper and slide it between the wall / surface and the rim of the wide-mouth container, thereby trapping the bat inside.
Secure the bat inside.

If no exposures to the bat took place, then it may be released. The proper release procedure is to:

Place the trapped bat against a tree (at least 4 feet off the ground)
Then slide the paper out and remove the container.

Releasing the bat against the tree allows the bat to continue to rest while being safe from potential predators like the neighbor’s cat. This method also has the advantage of being harmless to the bat.

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