You must be irritated or even scared when a bat enters your house. These animals can be difficult to get out of the house if they panic and keep wandering around. It's natural to be afraid, but you need to stay calm and focus on catching him, not hurting him. This is the best way to get them out of the house. By being patient and using a few simple methods, you can catch bats and release them outdoors in a safe and humane manner.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Finding Bats and Protecting Yourself
Step 1. Find the bat if the animal is hiding
If you don't know where the bats are, start searching during the day, when the bats are sleeping and they are easier to find and catch. Start in an area where there is not much light, such as an attic or hidden room. Look for places where you can crawl and hang from, for example:
- Curtain
- Back of furniture
- Decorative plants
- Hanging clothes
- In between the seat cushions
- Under or behind a wardrobe or entertainment device
Step 2. Keep people and pets away
If there are large crowds of people, the bats will become more stressed and more difficult to catch. Get children and pets out of the room, and ask everyone to come out too.
Step 3. Wear thick protective clothing
Before trying to catch a bat, wear a thick, long-sleeved T-shirt or sweater, long pants, and sturdy shoes or boots. Bats can bite and spread diseases, such as rabies. So it's important to protect your skin if you're around it, especially if you don't know where it's hiding.
Do not use light clothing (such as cotton) as the bat's teeth can penetrate them
Step 4. Protect your hands by wearing thick gloves
The hands are the part most exposed to bats. So you should wear thick leather gloves or some other strong material.
If there are no gloves, you can wrap your hands in thick clothes. Do not use a towel because the bat's claws can get caught in the coil.
Method 2 of 3: Catching Bats Using a Bucket or Hand
Step 1. Close the room door and wait for the bat to land if this animal is flying
In the end the bats will be exhausted from flying constantly. So, close the door so the bats don't move to another room and wait for the animal to land, and keep an eye on it at all times. Maybe the bat will land in a place where it can be used to hang on, such as behind curtains, upholstered furniture, hanging clothes, or even ornamental plants in the house.
- Stay still and calm while waiting for the bat to land. This action makes the bat calm down faster.
- Don't catch a flying bat. This is very difficult to do, and can make him even more panicked.
- Bats don't really want to touch you. So, stay calm when a bat bumps into you by accident. The bats will fly again as soon as possible.
Step 2. Cover the bat with a bucket or tub
Once it lands somewhere, cover the bat discreetly and carefully with a bucket, plastic tub, or other similar container. This makes the bat unable to fly when you take it out.
- Use a bucket or tub that is large enough but comfortable for the bat so you don't accidentally injure it during this process.
- For best results, use a clear bucket or container so the bats can be seen when you trap and move them.
Step 3. Tuck the cardboard into the hole in the bucket so the bat will get stuck in it
Tuck the cardboard or stiff paper so that the top (hole) of the bucket is tightly closed. Keep the bucket against the wall, and be careful not to pinch the bat when you trap it in the bucket.
If the bucket or tub has a lid, you can use that too
Step 4. Catch the bat by hand if you don't have a bucket
To catch it by hand, approach the bat slowly and silently, then extend your hand towards it, and gently grab the animal with a firm grip.
- Try holding it so that its head is facing outward, near your fingertips. In this way, you can put strong pressure on the body.
- If you are bitten, or if you get saliva in your nose, eyes, or mouth, seek medical attention immediately because bats carry rabies.
Step 5. Take the bat outside and release it on the tree
Take the bucket quickly and carefully out of the house to the nearest tree. Tilt the bucket against the tree trunk, holding it at arm's length. Next, carefully remove the cardboard until the bats fly out.
- If you catch it by hand, grab the bat and aim it at the tree trunk. Loosen the grip carefully, let the bat jump into the tree.
- Bats are generally unable to fly if placed on the ground. So, the bat will fly easily if you release it on the tree. This is especially important if the bat is feeling stressed and tired from flying around in the house.
Step 6. Close all entrances after the bat is removed
Check for entrances around the house that bats commonly use, such as chimneys or holes leading to attics or cellars. Seal all holes, or hire a handyman to do this. This is to prevent other bats from entering the house.
Bats can enter or hide in enough space to accommodate two fingers
Method 3 of 3: Helping the Bats Get Out of the House
Step 1. Close the door that leads to another room and turn off the light
If the bat won't land so you can't catch it, try pushing it to escape. Once the bat is found, close all the doors that lead to another room, then turn off the lights. This creates a comfortable environment for the bats, which makes them calm and able to find a way out.
Step 2. Open one of the windows as a bat exit
Once the room is closed and isolated from the rest of the house, provide a way out. Open a large window (or several windows), or open a door that leads out of the house. The more windows you open, the easier it will be for the bats to escape!
Try opening a window near a flying bat so that the animal will seek open air.
Step 1. Leave the room for a while, and stay still
Ask everyone to leave the room, including pets, children, and other adults. Close the door behind you and keep quiet to calm the bats.
Step 2. Check the room 30 minutes later to see if the bats have left
Check the room 30 minutes later to see if the bats have come out. Check around the room using a flashlight. If the bat is still there, wait another hour before you check again.
If the bat hasn't left, but has settled down somewhere quietly, try catching it with a bucket. If the bats are still flying around rapidly, get help from a professional pest control
Tips
- Get help from a professional pest control if bats can't be removed, or if your home is frequented by bats. Maybe bats live in attics or cellars, or enter through points you don't know about.
- Stay calm. Remember, bats are just as scared as you are, even more so. Try to catch and release him humanely, not hurt him.
Warning
- Bats can bite and carry diseases such as rabies. So, always wear gloves when handling or approaching it.
- Get medical help right away if you are bitten or if you get bat saliva in your nose, eyes, or mouth. You won't get rabies just by touching faeces (called guano), blood, urine, or bat fur.
