Bat In The House
- How urgent
- Low risk
- Who fixes it
- A pest controller
What's happening?
A bat in the house may have come in through an open window or from a roost in the building. Bats are protected, so the aim is to get it out unharmed and to ask the helpline when it needs help. If bats keep turning up inside the house, there may be a roost in the roof or walls, which is a different problem covered on the page about bats in the roof or eaves. The Bat Conservation Trust treats bats found inside, in need of rescue or turning up repeatedly, as questions for the National Bat Helpline.
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What usually causes it?
- An open window or door at dusk in summer or early autumn
- A bat from a roost in the loft, eaves or a cavity wall that took the wrong exit
- A bat that is cold, exhausted or ill and has landed on the floor
Is it dangerous?
Low, if you do not touch it. A small number of UK bats carry European bat lyssaviruses. Bat bites are often felt rather than seen and may leave no mark. If you may have been bitten, scratched or licked, wash the site with soap and water for at least five minutes and get medical advice straight away, or call 111, even if you have had rabies vaccines.
Can I fix it myself?
Keep children and pets away from the bat. Do not handle the bat with bare hands: the Trust says bat bites are often felt rather than seen and may leave no mark. Call the National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228 for a bat that cannot fly out, is on the floor or is hurt, and for advice if bats keep turning up inside.
When should you call a pest controller?
Call the National Bat Helpline for a bat that cannot fly out or is hurt. A pest controller is the wrong call for a bat. If bats keep appearing in the house, ask the helpline about a roost rather than blocking holes.
What will the pest controller actually do?
- Decline to remove or kill the bat, and point to the helpline
- Look for how bats are getting in without blocking anything that could be a roost
- Advise on closing off a chimney or gap only after the helpline or a bat worker has said it is safe
- Treat any other pest found in the same visit once bats are ruled out
Questions people ask
A bat has flown into my house. What do I do?
Can I pick up a bat?
A bat has bitten or scratched me. What now?
Does one bat in the house mean I have a roost?
Sources & References
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