Canton, NY — The St. Lawrence County Public Health Department (SLCPHD) is reminding residents that if they discover a bat inside their home that may have come into contact with a person or pet, the most important thing to do is catch the bat safely and not release it.
Bats remain the leading cause of human rabies deaths in the United States. Most human rabies cases linked to bats have occurred after people were unaware they had been bitten or did not realize they had been exposed while a bat was inside a home.
Children, older adults, individuals with speech or cognitive impairments, and people who were asleep while a bat was in the room may not be able to recognize or report a bite. Bat bites can also be very small and difficult to see.
Keeping the bat available for testing can help determine whether rabies treatment is needed. If the bat cannot be tested because it was released or discarded, rabies post-exposure treatment may be recommended based on what happened.
Catch the bat safely and do not release it. To safely capture a bat:
- Turn on the room lights.
- Close interior doors and any windows leading outside.
- Wait for the bat to land.
- While wearing thick gloves, carefully place a coffee can, plastic container, bucket, or similar container over the bat.
- Slide a piece of sturdy cardboard between the container and the surface.
- Secure the cardboard tightly to the container with tape and keep the bat contained until you receive instructions from SLCPHD (315) 386-2325
If you have captured a bat that may have exposed a person or pet, contact the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department as soon as possible. Public Health staff will ask questions about where the bat was found, whether anyone may have been exposed, and whether the bat should be submitted for rabies testing.
Residents can reduce the chance of bats entering their homes by:
- Keeping windows and exterior doors closed or properly screened.
- Installing chimney caps and draft guards beneath attic doors.
- Sealing openings larger than ½ inch around roofs, foundations, utility lines, pipes, and vents using caulk, expanding foam, wire mesh, or other appropriate materials.
- Checking attics, rafters, porches, and wall spaces for signs of bats, including droppings (guano), urine stains, or scratch marks.
- Watching your home around dusk or dawn to identify where bats may be entering or leaving.
- Using one-way exclusion devices or consulting a wildlife or pest control professional experienced in bat exclusion if bats are roosting in your home.
- Avoid sealing entry points while bats are still inside, as this can trap bats indoors or force them into occupied living spaces.
- Schedule major bat-proofing projects during the winter when bats have typically left buildings.
Residents are also encouraged to keep all dogs, cats, and ferrets, even if they don’t go outside, current on their rabies vaccinations. The St. Lawrence County Public Health Department offers free rabies vaccination clinics throughout the year to help protect pets and the community: https://www.stlawco.gov/Departments/PublicHealth/RabiesControl
For additional information about safely capturing a bat and rabies prevention, visit the New York State Department of Health's rabies webpage and watch the instructional "Catch the Bat" video: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/bats/
Media Contact: Jenna Thompson [email protected]