One of the more disturbing signs of a bat infestation is having a bat show up inside your home. This is very common, and today we will explain the process of removing a bat inside living quarters. If you want to hire a bat removal company to remove the bat for you, which I highly recommend as this job has many risks, browse my directory of bat removal professionals here. 

First off, safety is the most important thing. You want to avoid getting bitten or scratched by the bat at all costs. It could potentially have rabies or other transmittable diseases. Since most people will not have professional equipment at their disposal, we will explain what can be used out of everyday items. As a disclaimer, the advice in this article does not guarantee your safety. Proceed at your own risk. 

The method we explain here to catch the bat will not require any handling of the bat by hand. That said, it’s best to wear some safety gear. It’d be best to wear a pair of thick gloves. Also, wear a long-sleeved shirt or hoodie. Wrap duct tape around your wrists, connecting the gloves with your sleeves. This is to cover as much skin as possible to avoid skin contact with the bat. You should wear as much clothing as possible to protect yourself if you come into contact with the bat. Long pants, glasses, and a hat will be okay. 

The most obvious way to get rid of the bat in your house is to leave the doors and windows open in hopes the bat will fly out. But this does not always work. Although bats have relatively good eyesight, they mostly use their ears to navigate. This is why you won’t see a bat flying into a glass window trying to escape, as a bird would do. Simply put, its because the bat can detect the barrier of glass using its echolocation hearing. With that noted, homes have many kinds of drafts on the interior, and this can confuse the bats’ sense of direction. They will often fly around the house aimlessly in search of a way out, while seemingly avoiding the open door. 

Using The “Coffee Can Method” To Capture A Bat

After the bat flies around for a while, it will become tired and land. This is your window of opportunity to catch the bat. Using a coffee can or another similar kind of container, carefully place it on top of the bat. Once the can is on top of the bat, use something thin (such as a piece of paper) to slide between the bat and the wall. This will disconnect the bat from the wall. Once you sense the bat is inside your can, wait until the bat is calm. Bats are generally pretty docile. They won’t be banging around inside the can trying to get out too much. Generally speaking, when you detach the bat from the wall it will just plop down into the can and crawl to the back. Once you sense the bat is calm, simultaneously remove the paper and quickly install the lid of the coffee can. And there you have it! 

After the bat has been successfully captured, you may want to consider whether to release it outside or have it tested for rabies. Unless you are absolutely sure the bat did not come into contact with people or pets, you should have the bat tested. Contact your local public health agency to be directed to a rabies testing facility. This process is generally free, but it depends where you live.