Bat Removal Layton, UT
Davis County finds a few rabid bats most years. Here is who Layton residents should call, what the county's pest page says, and when a colony can be sealed out.
Davis County rabies context
Davis County Health Department's pests page says there are 18 species of bats in Utah, and that the most common ones people encounter in buildings are the big brown bat, little brown bat, hoary bat and free-tailed bat. In Utah, most human rabies cases result from contact with an infected bat. The department's July 2025 Rabies Communications and Resource Guide notes that about 2 to 3 positive bats are found in Davis County each year on average, and that in 2024 there were 4 positive bats in the county (the DHHS statewide report listed 3 for Davis County that year; either way, Davis County has yearly activity).
If a bat is found inside a house after someone has been sleeping, or if anyone may have had contact, Davis County treats it as an exposure. The bat should be captured and tested, stored on ice or under refrigeration (not frozen), and Animal Care should be notified.
Who to call in Layton
- Davis County Animal Care & Control: 801-444-2200. After hours for a bat inside: 911. For pet exposures after hours: 801-451-4150.
- Davis County Epidemiology / Communicable Disease: 801-525-5200 (on-call for possible human rabies illness). Health Department general: 801-525-5220.
- Utah DWR Northern Regional Office: 801-476-2740 (wildlife issues and human exposures involving wildlife, per the county guide).
Davis County Animal Care will usually remove a bat from a home. Getting rid of a roosting colony is different. The pests page notes that it is illegal to intentionally kill bats in Utah, and that prevention work should happen in the fall after bats have had their babies and left.
Utah rabies numbers
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 2024 annual report recorded 31 rabid animals statewide, and all 31 were bats. It was the highest number of positive detections Utah has recorded in a single year. Of 228 bats tested, 13.6% were positive, and those bats exposed 13 people and 13 pets. Most rabid animals in Utah turn up between June and October. Mexican free-tailed bats were the largest share of 2024 positives (10), followed by big brown bats (7) and western pipistrelles (6).
Layton homes
Layton has 29,476 housing units. About 27% predate 1980, 22% were built in 2010 or later, and the median home dates to 1993. Most (69%) are single-family detached. The Weber Basin Pump Plant 3 climate station averages lows of 50°F or warmer in Jun–Sep.
When bats can be excluded in Layton
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) says female bats usually move into buildings in May or June to give birth, and that June through August is the hardest time to deal with a colony. Blocking the mothers then kills the flightless pups, and bats are protected wildlife in Utah. Unless bats are coming into close contact with people, DWR does not permit colony removal during that period. DWR advises against sealing openings from May through August and names fall as the best time. Salt Lake County Health Department's bat brochure is stricter: it says not to use exclusion methods from May 1 to September 1, because pups cannot fly yet and it is illegal to harm them.
For an attic colony, DWR says to contact a local, permitted wildlife nuisance control company, which coordinates the removal with DWR for a time of year that won't harm the pups. After August, DWR describes hanging bird netting over an exterior opening (stapled at the top and sides, open at the bottom) for four to five days, until the bats have left, and then sealing the holes. In Layton, NOAA normals for the Weber Basin Pump Plt 3 station put the average low at 50°F or warmer in Jun–Sep, the months when bats are most active here.
Layton at a glance
- Housing units: 29,476 (median year built 1993)
- Built before 1980: 27%; built 2010 or later: 22%
- Single-family detached: 69%; buildings with 10+ units: 13%
- Renter-occupied homes: 26%
- Average January low: 20°F; average July high: 92°F
- Months with an average low of 50°F or warmer: Jun–Sep
Housing figures: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year estimates (tables B25024, B25034, B25035, B25003) via Census Reporter. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Weber Basin Pump Plt 3 station.
Common questions
Who do I call about a bat in Layton?
Davis County Animal Care & Control at 801-444-2200 (after hours for a bat inside: 911). For possible human contact, call Davis County Epidemiology at 801-525-5200.
How many rabid bats does Davis County see?
The county guide says about 2 to 3 positive bats a year on average, and listed 4 in 2024.
Will Animal Care remove bats from my attic?
Animal Care removes bats found inside living space for testing. Excluding a colony from an attic is private work, done in fall after the pups have left.
When can bats be excluded in Layton?
DWR and Davis County both point to fall, after pups can fly. Do not seal openings May through August.
Is it legal to kill bats in Layton?
No. Davis County notes that it is illegal to intentionally kill bats in Utah.
Nearby city guides
Sources
- Davis County Health: Pests & Zoonotic Diseases
- Kaysville: Rabies Communications/Resource Guide (July 2025)
- Davis County Animal Care
- Utah DWR: What to know about bats in Utah (July 14, 2026)
- Utah DHHS: Rabies Annual Report 2024
- Census Reporter: Layton profile (ACS 2024 1-year)
- NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 monthly normals (Weber Basin Pump Plt 3)
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