A bat just flew into your home. Your heart rate just doubled. What do you do?
Don’t panic — but do act quickly and correctly. A bat inside your living space requires specific steps to protect your family’s health and safety. This guide walks you through exactly what to do, what NOT to do, and when to call for help.
Step 1: Stay Calm and Contain the Bat
Bats that fly into homes are almost always disoriented and frightened. They are not attacking you — they are desperately trying to find a way out. Your first goal is to contain the bat to one room.
- Close all interior doors to limit the bat’s range to one room
- Keep everyone (especially children and pets) out of the room with the bat
- Do NOT try to grab or swat the bat — this is how bites happen
- Turn on lights (bats navigate better in light than total darkness)
Step 2: Open an Exit and Wait
In most cases, an open window or door will allow the bat to find its way out on its own. Here’s how to help it along:
- Open a window or exterior door in the room — screen removed, fully open
- Turn off overhead lights if possible (bats are attracted to dark exits)
- Leave the room and wait 15–20 minutes
- If the bat is still inside after 20 minutes, you may need to gently encourage it toward the window (see Step 3)
Nighttime is easier: Bats navigate by echolocation and will find an open window much more readily at night than during the day.
Step 3: If the Bat Won’t Leave — Safe Removal Method
If the bat is resting on a wall or surface (bats often land to rest if exhausted), you can safely capture and release it:
- Put on thick work gloves — never handle a bat with bare hands
- Wait for the bat to land on a flat surface
- Place a small box or container over the bat
- Slide a stiff piece of cardboard under the container, trapping the bat inside
- Take the container outside and release the bat well away from your home — aim it toward trees or open sky
Never handle a bat with bare hands under any circumstances. Bat bites can be tiny — sometimes barely felt — and bat saliva can transmit rabies even through very small wounds.
Step 4: Assess Potential Rabies Exposure — THIS IS CRITICAL
This is the step most Utah families skip — and it can be a fatal mistake.
Contact the Utah County or Salt Lake County Health Department immediately if any of the following apply:
- A person was sleeping in the room where the bat was found and cannot confirm they were not bitten or scratched during sleep
- An unattended child was in the room with the bat
- A pet had direct contact with the bat
- Anyone touched the bat with bare hands
- You cannot account for all household members’ exposure
Why this matters: Rabies is almost universally fatal once symptoms appear. The incubation period can be weeks to months. Post-exposure prophylaxis (a series of shots) is effective but must be started before symptoms develop. A bat bite can be so small it leaves no visible mark — especially if the bite occurs during sleep.
If there is ANY chance of exposure, do not release the bat. Capture it and take it to the health department for testing. A bat that tests negative means no post-exposure treatment is needed.
Utah Department of Health rabies information: health.utah.gov
Step 5: Call Utah Wildlife Specialists
One bat inside your home almost always means there are more roosting nearby — in your attic, walls, or soffit. Bats do not typically enter homes by accident from outside. They follow their echolocation pathways, and those pathways lead from a roost inside your structure.
Call us for a free inspection to determine if you have an established colony and where bats are getting in: (801) 675-8829.
What NOT To Do When a Bat Is in Your Home
- ❌ Don’t try to kill the bat — it’s illegal in Utah and makes rabies testing impossible
- ❌ Don’t swat at the bat with a broom or towel — this risks a bite and injures the bat
- ❌ Don’t assume you’re safe just because you didn’t feel a bite — bat teeth are very small
- ❌ Don’t ignore it — a bat in the living space is a sign of an entry point somewhere in your home
- ❌ Don’t let your cat or dog “handle it” — pets that contact bats need veterinary evaluation
Frequently Asked Questions
Is one bat in my house a big deal?
Yes, for two reasons. First, the rabies exposure risk must be assessed. Second, a bat that enters your living space almost always came from a colony roosting inside your structure — there’s almost never just one bat. An inspection will determine the scope of the problem.
How did the bat get in?
Most likely through a gap in your roofline, soffit, gable vent, chimney, or wall — and then found its way from the attic into living areas through an unsealed gap around a light fixture, pipe, or shared wall. Bats can squeeze through openings as small as ¼ inch.
Should I get the bat tested for rabies?
If any person or pet may have been exposed (including through sleep contact), yes — capture the bat and take it to the county health department for testing. Testing is free and gives you a definitive answer so you can make the right medical decision.
How do I stop bats from getting in again?
Professional bat exclusion and permanent sealing is the only reliable solution. Call Utah Wildlife Specialists for a free inspection and estimate: (801) 675-8829.
Emergency Bat Removal — We Respond Same Day
Utah Wildlife Specialists provides same-day emergency bat removal throughout Utah. If a bat is inside your living space right now, call us immediately.
📞 Call or Text 24/7: (801) 675-8829
📧 Email: texasrangerwildlife@gmail.com
Licensed, insured, and serving all of Utah for 15+ years
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