Bat safety

Learn how to safely handle bat interactions in the City of Boston.

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Bats sometimes carry rabies and may spread it to people or animals through bites or scratches. For safety it is important to remove bats from your home as soon as possible. If a person may have been bitten or scratched, it is important to capture the bat and have it tested for rabies.

During the summer months, it is not unusual to find a bat in a home in Boston. Most often, these animals have accidently flown into your home and are now trapped.

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How can I keep a bat out of my home?

Some bats live in buildings where it is unlikely they will ever have contact with people. However, bats should always be prevented from entering rooms of your home where they may come in close contact with people. For assistance with "bat-proofing" your home, contact a wildlife conservation agency or pest control agency. If you choose to "bat-proof" your home yourself, follow these suggestions:

Examine your home for holes that might allow bats entry.
Use window screens, chimney caps, and draft guards beneath doors to attics.
Fill electrical and plumbing holes with stainless steel, wool, or caulking.
Ensure that all doors to the outside close tightly.
Observe where the bats exit at dusk and keep them from re-entering by loosely hanging clear plastic sheeting or bird netting over these areas (bats can leave, but cannot re-enter).
After the bats have stopped coming back, permanently seal the opening.
Avoid permanently sealing openings from May through August, as many young bats are unable to fly and may die trapped inside or make their way into living quarters. If you have a problem during these months, find a problem animal control agent, licensed by the state of Massachusetts, to remove wildlife by calling 978-772-2145 or click here.
Most bats leave to hibernate in fall or winter, so this is the best time to "bat-proof".

What do I do if I find a bat in my home?

If you find a bat in your home, you should capture it as soon as possible. It's very important to keep the bat contained so it can be tested for rabies. It may be possible to release the bat back outside if there is no risk that the bat bit or scratched a person or pet. To capture a bat, follow these steps:

Close all windows and doors, turn on the lights, and wait for the bat to land.
Wearing heavy gloves, cover the bat with a pail, coffee can, or similar container.
Slide cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside.
Tape the cardboard to the container.

Click here for a fact sheet on catching a bat from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Boston residents can contact Boston Animal Control at 617-635-5348 for recommendations or assistance in capturing the bat. You can also find a state licensed Problem Animal Control (PAC) Agent to assist in removing problem animals here.

How do I know if a bat should be sent for rabies testing?

A bat should be captured and sent for testing if:

Any person or animal came into direct contact with the bat through bites or scratches.
The bat was found in a room with a sleeping person. Bats have small sharp teeth, which may not leave a visible bite mark. A bite from a bat during the night may not awaken a sleeping person.
The bat was found with an unattended child, a mentally disabled person, or a person who was not fully aware of his or her surroundings (intoxicated, heavily medicated, etc.).
The bat had contact with a household pet.

If direct contact or possible contact occurred, capture the bat without touching it. Immediately wash the area of a bite or scratch thoroughly with soap and water. Seek medical attention for people and veterinary care for pets.

If a bat is available for testing and is found to be negative, treatment to prevent rabies is not necessary. However, any bat that cannot be tested must be considered to be positive for rabies. Every year, many Boston residents need to undergo rabies post-exposure treatment because they released a bat from their home instead of capturing it and having it tested.

If the bat needs to be submitted for rabies testing, call the Hinton State Laboratory Institute (617-983-6385) for further instruction. If you are certain that there was no possibility of contact between the bat and any human or pet, the bat can be released or allowed to leave on its own.