How to Catch Bats in the House

It is annoying, even scary, when a bat somehow gets into your house. It’s also hard to get a bat out of the house if it’s panicking all over the place. No matter how scared you are, the best course of action is to stay calm and focus on catching the bat without injuring it. With patience and a few simple tips, you can safely and humanely capture the bat and release it back into the wild.

Table of Contents

Find the bat and protect yourself

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Find the bat if it is hiding. If you don’t know where the bat is, look for it during the day, when the bat is sleepy. This will make it easier for you to find and catch the bat. Start looking in areas that aren’t very bright, such as an attic or a room in a dark corner. Look for places where the bat can hang or crawl, such as:

Curtain
Behind the furniture
Houseplants
Clothes hanging on hangers
Slots between the seat cushions
Under or behind cabinets or entertainment devices

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Keep pets and other people away. The more people around, the more scared the bat is and the harder it is to catch. Get pets and children out of the room and tell others to leave too. ^{[1] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to Source}

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Wear thick clothing that protects the body. Before you start catching the bat, you need to put on a thick cloth shirt with long sleeves or a sweatshirt, long pants, and sturdy boots or shoes. Bats can bite and spread diseases like rabies, so it’s important to cover yourself when around a bat, especially if you don’t know where it is.

Avoid wearing thin materials like cotton, as bats can bite through the fabric.

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Wear thick cloth work gloves to protect your hands. The hands will have the most contact with the bat, so you need to wear thick leather gloves or work gloves of similar thick and strong material. ^{[2] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to Source}

If you don’t have gloves, use a thick, sturdy fabric rolled up. Avoid using cotton towels, as the bat’s nails can get caught in the cotton fibers.

Catch bats with a bucket or by hand

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Close the doors and wait for the bat to land if it is flying around. Eventually, the bat will get tired of flying. Close the door so it doesn’t fly to other rooms and wait for it to land, always keeping an eye on the bat. Perhaps it will target somewhere where it can hang, such as behind curtains or upholstery, clothes hanging on hangers, even on potted plants. ^{[3] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to Source}

Stand still and be quiet while waiting for the bat to land so it “revives” faster.
Don’t try to catch the bat right in the air. This is almost impossible and will only cause the bat to panic further.
The bat doesn’t want to touch you, so stay calm if it accidentally flies into you. It will fly away soon.

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Place the bucket or box over the bat. Once the bat has landed, carefully and gently place a bucket, basin or box over the bat. So it will not fly away when you continue to process. ^{[4] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to source}

Be sure to use a bucket or box large enough for the bat to comfortably fit inside without getting injured.
It’s best to use a clear plastic bucket or box so that the bat can be seen when catching and moving it.

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Slide a piece of cardboard under the mouth of the bucket or box that is holding the bat upside down. Use a piece of cardboard or cardboard to slip under the bucket so that the mouth of the bucket is sealed. Hold the bucket very close to the wall or surface where the bat is sitting, and be careful not to get the bat trapped inside. ^{[5] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to Source}

You can also use bucket or box lids (if available).

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Place your hands over the bat if you don’t have a bucket. To catch the bat with your hands, you must slowly and gently approach the bat, then bend down and gently lift the bat with both hands, remembering to hold firmly but gently. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Try to hold the bat so that its head is facing out near your fingertips so you can keep a firm grip on the bat.
If you are bitten by a bat or if its saliva gets in your eyes, nose, or mouth, seek medical attention promptly. Bats carry rabies. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Take the bat outside and drop it on the tree. Carefully bring the bucket outdoors to a tree near the house. Leaning the bucket against the trunk, straighten the arm holding the bucket, carefully opening the cardboard to let the bat jump out. ^{[8] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to Source}

If you have a bat in your hand, stretch your arms out so that the bat is close to the tree trunk. Carefully open your hand to let it jump up the tree.
Bats don’t usually get up from the ground, so it’s easier for them to get out when they’re released into a tree. This is especially important for bats that are stressed and exhausted after flying around indoors.

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Seal off places where bats can enter your home after you’ve released the bat. Check around the house for common bat entrances, such as chimneys or gaps leading to attics or basements. Try to seal these places off or hire a plumber to prevent other bats from entering the house. ^{[9] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to source}

Bats can get in or hide in openings the size of two fingers. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Help the bat to escape

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Close the doors between rooms and turn off the lights. If the bat doesn’t land long enough for you to catch it, you can try to lure it out. Once the bat is located, close all doors to the other rooms and turn off the lights. This will create a more comfortable environment for the bat, helping it to calm down and find its way out. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Open the window to let the bat out. Once the room with the bat is closed to the rest of the house, create an exit for the bat. Open a large window or several, or open a door that leads outside. The more windows open, the better chance the bat has to get out! ^{[12] X Trusted Source The Humane Society of the United States Go to source}

Try to open windows near where the bat is flying , so it will be easier to find its way out.

Advice

If you can’t get rid of the bat, or the bat keeps coming into your home, call a pest control service. It is possible that bats live in your attic or basement, or enter your home from entrances that you cannot find.
Keep calm. Remember that bats are just as scared as you, maybe even more scared than you! Try to catch and release it, don’t hurt it.

Warning

Bats can bite and carry pathogens like rabies, so you should always wear gloves when handling the bat or when approaching it.
If you have been bitten by a bat or if you get bat saliva in your eyes, nose, or mouth, seek medical attention immediately. However, you do not get rabies from contact with bat droppings, blood, urine, or bat feathers. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Steps

Find the bat and protect yourself

Catch bats with a bucket or by hand

Help the bat to escape

Advice

Warning

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