Stay calm. Most bats inside a home are not trying to hurt anyone. They are usually just confused and trying to find a way out.
- Keep people and pets away. Move children, dogs, and cats out of the room.
- Close interior doors. Try to keep the bat in one room.
- Turn off ceiling fans. Fans can hurt the bat and make the room more dangerous.
- Do not touch the bat with your bare hands.
How to capture a bat safely
View step-by-step guidance from the CDC:
- Find a container like a box or jar large enough for the bat to fit in.
- Locate a piece of cardboard large enough to cover the container opening.
- Punch small air holes in the cardboard.
- Put on leather work gloves.
- When the bat lands, approach it slowly and put the container over it.
- Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside.
- Tape the cardboard to the container to secure the bat inside.
- If you need help catching the bat safely, contact a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator.
- Call your local health department for a consultation to determine if any people were potentially exposed to rabies through contact with the bat. The bat may need to be tested for rabies.
- If the bat encounter is during the weekend or in the middle of the night, public health should be consulted when they are next open. While the consultation is urgent, it is not an emergency.
- If public health determines that no one had contact with the bat, you may be able to release it. Do not release the bat until you talk with a public health expert.
More resources
- Learn what to do if someone in your home may have come into contact with a bat.
- Find more tips and information about bats in Connecticut from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Wildlife.org.
- Find more information about rabies.