08/27/2026
๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ญ? ๐ฆ
Warmer weather means bats ๐ฆhave emerged from their hibernation. These oft-maligned mammals serve important roles eating problem insects like mosquitoes, but they can also carry rabies. And if one gets in your house, and possibly exposes occupants to rabies, it can be a mess. So capturing any intruding bats to make sue they aren't rabid is important.
Here are some tips from the NYS Department of Health for instances where a bat gets into living quarters. They involve making sure you have some heavy gloves, a coffee can and forceps:
๐ฆ Carefully avoid direct contact with the bat and avoid damaging its head.
๐ฆ Close the windows, and the room and closet doors; turn on the lights if the room is dark
๐ฆ Wait for the bat to land
๐ฆ Wearing gloves (heavy, preferably pliable thick leather), cover the bat with a coffee can or similar container with a lid
๐ฆ Slide a piece of cardboard under the can, trapping the bat
๐ฆ With one hand firmly holding the cardboard in place against the top of the can, turn the can right side up
๐ฆ Replace the cardboard with the lid (if no lid, tape the cardboard tightly to the can)
๐ฆ While wearing gloves (heavy, preferably pliable thick leather), slowly approach the bat with net
๐ฆ Rotate the pole so that the bat is scooped into the net and the net turns in on itself containing the bat
๐ฆ With a gloved hand, grab the bat through the outside of the net, slide the coffee can into the net, push the bat into the can and place the lid on the can (if no lid, tape a piece of cardboard over the can).
You can learn more here: https://on.ny.gov/3pRDteS
