Skip to content

Animal in your house right now?

Send an urgent request
Michigan Pest Removal
Menu

Bat in your house: what to do right now

A bat indoors is common and usually not dangerous. The key question is whether anyone could have had contact with it. If the bat was in a room where someone was sleeping, do not let it go.

Send an urgent request

Do this now

  1. 1Keep kids and pets out of the room and close the door behind you.
  2. 2Ask whether anyone was asleep in that room, or a child, pet, or impaired person was alone with the bat.
  3. 3If there was any chance of contact, keep the bat so it can be tested for rabies.
  4. 4To catch it, wait until it lands, then wear thick leather gloves, never bare hands.
  5. 5Cover it with a box or container, slide cardboard underneath, and tape it shut.
  6. 6Call your local health department and doctor right away for next steps.
  7. 7If there was clearly no contact, close interior doors, open a window, turn off the lights, and wait.

Don't

  • Don't touch a bat with bare hands, even if it looks dead.
  • Don't release a bat that was in a room with a sleeping person.
  • Don't swat it out of the air or chase it with a broom.
  • Don't seal up the attic in summer if bats may be roosting there.

Get help immediately if

  • You woke up with a bat in the room, or one was found near a child, impaired person, or pet that was alone.
  • Someone was bitten or scratched: wash the area with soap and water and call a doctor right away.

Why bats and rabies call for caution

Most bats are healthy, but bats are one of the main carriers of rabies in Michigan. Bat bites can be tiny and may not leave a mark you can see, and a person who was asleep would not know if they were bitten. That is why CDC guidance says to keep and test a bat found in a room with a sleeping person, a young child, or a pet.

Rabies is preventable with prompt treatment after an exposure, but it is almost always fatal once symptoms start. Your doctor and local health department will decide whether treatment is needed, often based on whether the bat can be tested. Catching it carefully, without crushing it, gives them the best information.

When one bat means more in the attic

One bat in the living space can be a stray, or it can be a sign of a colony roosting in your attic or walls. Look for droppings near vents or in the attic, and watch the roofline at dusk for bats flying out. A licensed bat control pro can inspect the house and find the openings.

The professional fix is exclusion: one-way devices let bats leave but not return, and then the gaps are sealed. Exclusion should not be done while flightless pups are in the roost, generally June into mid-August, because the young would be trapped inside. A pro will plan the timing around this.

What it costs

$150 to $450per visit

A single bat removal is at the low end. A full attic inspection and exclusion costs more, and after-hours or same-day emergency visits often cost more. These are typical ranges, not quotes.

Typical ranges, not quotes. More on bats and the Michigan cost guide.

Common questions

Can I just open a window and let the bat out?

Only if you are sure no one had contact with it, for example everyone was awake and saw it fly in. Then follow the steps above. If anyone was asleep in that room, keep the bat for testing instead.

How do I know if a bat bit me?

You may not. Bat teeth are very small, and bites can go unnoticed, especially during sleep. The health department wants to hear about any possible contact, even with no visible mark, and can help you and your doctor decide next steps.

Can bats be removed from my attic in summer?

Usually not until the pups can fly, since exclusion from June into mid-August can trap young bats inside. A pro can inspect now, seal gaps into the living space, and schedule full exclusion for late summer or fall.

Other emergencies

Send urgent request