It happens as bats begin gathering together to eat and gain weight in preparation for the chilly winter ahead.
As they are getting ready to migrate to their wintering locations – they can find their way into homes by accident.
Jennifer Morse the District Health Department #10 Medical Director tells us they like dark and warm places, like an attic or barn.
She adds they find their way through cracks and openings.
With a bat in your house, there is also a chance you may get bit.
Jennifer says “if they’re able to catch that bat safely, they should do that and then contact their health department, because then we can test it. Only about 1 to 2% of bats have rabies. And if we can test it and know for sure, then we can make decisions based on that. If for some reason the bat has flown out, it’s gotten crushed, you know, something happens to it. Contact the health department. We can decide to help you decide if the exposure was high risk enough for you to need treatment to help prevent you from getting rabies. ”
Jennifer also recommends calling a professional to capture the bat instead of doing it yourself, to avoid harm to both you and the bat.
She also had some recommendations for keeping bats out of your home.
She says “Just make sure that there are no openings or cracks into areas where they like to hide. And really call in an expert if you can, rather than trying to do it yourself. Just so you don’t accidentally expose yourself to the to animals, while you’re trying to get rid of them.”