Sometimes a bat may go off course and accidentally find its way into a home. This is no cause for alarm. Stay calm, and follow these steps to remove it safely and humanely. The bat may be first seen flying around a room early in the evening, landing on curtains or furniture and then taking flight again.

• Remain calm and keep pets and children away. The bat will tend to fly in a U-shaped path, flying higher near the walls and lower in the center of the room, so keep near a wall.
• Close interior doors as to limit where in the house it can fly into and give the bat a way to get outside, i.e. open all outside doors or any windows you can. If the bat doesn’t exit on its own, it is best to wait until it lands to try to catch it.

Bats are important to the environment and some local species are endangered and protected. Every effort to release them to the outside world is important.

Here are some additional tips to help you catch the bat:

• Important: Never try to handle a bat with your bare hands.
• Wear thick leather or similar work gloves—not cotton. Most bats can easily bite through cotton. If proper gloves are not available, you can capture a bat in a rolled-up t-shirt or something of similar material.  Make sure there is enough thickness to the material used so you will not be bitten. (Don’t use a towel, as the bat’s claws might get snagged in its loops.)
• Bats will most likely land somewhere they can hang, such as behind curtains or upholstered furniture, on hanging clothes, or in house plants. Carefully place a plastic tub or similar container over him. Gently work a piece of cardboard or stiff paper under the container, trapping the bat inside. Now you are ready to release the bat outdoors.
• Because most bats cannot take flight from the ground, tilt the container, or allow the bat to climb a tree trunk or other vertical surface.

If there is any suspicion or concern a pet or person has been bitten the bat can be tested for rabies. The bat must be sacrificed to do so and submitted to the health department.

The presence of the bat does not warrant testing, only exposure through a bite or deep scratch.

Don’t be afraid to call for help e.g. Granville Omega Pest Control. 1827 Lancaster Rd, Granville, OH 43023, (740) 587-3762.