Wear thick gloves if you think you may come in contact with the bat or if you are going to attempt to catch it. Secure children and animals in a room the bat cannot access. Avoid direct contact with the bat if possible.
Turn off the lights in the room and the exterior lights outside the door or window. Turn off any television, radio, or air conditioner near the exit that might make the bat avoid the area. Try to avoid making a lot of noises, as they will upset the bat and make it behave in less predictable ways.
Choose one exit that you intend to direct the bat to, but open other windows too in case the bat decides to fly out one of them instead. Use sheets with push pins to block off any doorways without doors into other rooms.
Move slowly toward the bat with the sheets up to limit its flying space and usher it toward the open exit. Position yourself and your friend in a way that makes flying in any direction other than the exit difficult. Keep closing in on the bat and the exit slowly until the bat has no choice but to fly out.
Close all doors and windows you opened to create an exit. Check the rest of the house for openings the bat may have used and seal them off.
Catching a bat mid-flight can injure the bat or cause it to panic and attempt to bite you. Waiting for the bat to land provides you with the safest opportunity to catch it for both you and the bat.
Approach the bat slowly and quietly then quickly place the container over the bat so that it cannot escape. Slide a piece of cardboard or container lid under the container slowly and gently to enclose the bat within the container and lid. Carry the container outside and release the bat back into your yard. While it is preferable that you release a bat after nightfall, you should not keep the bat contained until then if you catch one during the day.
Approach the bat slowly with the cloth or net in front of you. Place the net or cloth over the bat rapidly to avoid giving it an opportunity to fly away. The net may trap the bat immediately. If you are using a cloth towel or blanket, place it over the bat, then gently wrap the bat up with it. Carry the bat outdoors while still in the net or cloth, then release it. It is better for the bat if you release it after nightfall, but you should not keep the bat contained until evening if you capture it during the day.
Many attics in older homes have gaps in the wood that are small enough for bats to crawl through, inspect the areas carefully as it takes very little space for a bat to get in. Make sure traditional openings like windows and grain doors in barns are closed securely.
Determine the bat’s most highly trafficked point of entry by how much of the bat’s droppings you find in the area of the entry point. The other holes and gaps can be as small as a half inch and can easily be filled with caulk or sealed off with a piece of wood.
Netting and screens can serve as exclusion devices if you position them in a way that makes it easy to crawl out of, but low enough that it would be difficult for a bat in flight to find the opening again. Funnels and “bat cones” narrow the entrance so significantly that it makes it difficult for bats to gain access to the funnel again while in flight. Exclusion devices can be bought at the store if you would rather not attempt to construct one yourself.
Place the screen over the primary entrance and exit for the bats, with the screen flat against the side of your house but tented up a bit in the middle over the hole. Narrow the tented space in the screen down to a point about an inch wide at the bottom so the screen resembles a funnel from the top of the entrance to the narrow hole in the bottom. Bats will crawl out through the opening at the bottom of the screen, but be unable to grip and crawl back up to the entrance.
Bats have fairly long life spans and good memories, so they will attempt to re-enter your home if it is not properly sealed. Bats are not good at chewing or clawing through barriers, so as long as you seal the entrance they won’t likely be able to re-enter.
Large amounts of bat droppings can cause wood to rot, compromising the integrity of your home. Bat droppings can lead to mold. Clean up bat droppings using a vacuum and all-purpose cleaner. Make sure to wash your hands when you are done.
