If a bat gets into your home and/or touches a person or pet, it is very important to capture the bat so it can be tested for rabies. Rabies is a deadly disease that is 100% fatal once symptoms start, but it can be prevented if treated in time. The only way to know if the bat has rabies is to test it.

Even though most bats do not have rabies, it’s still a risk any time:

• A bat bites or scratches a person
• A bat's saliva (spit) touches someone’s eyes, nose, mouth, or an open cut
• A bat touches a pet

Bat bites can be very small and hard to see.

A person might not even feel a bite while sleeping. If you wake up and find a bat in your room or if a bat is in a room with a child, a person with a disability, or someone who’s been under the influence, the bat should be captured for testing.

You cannot get rabies from bat poop (guano), blood or urine.

When capturing a bat, do not touch it with your bare hands and avoid damaging its head. The brain has to stay whole because the brain is what gets tested for rabies.

 Follow these steps to safely capture a bat:

1. If the bat is inside:
   • Close all windows and doors to keep it in one room.
   • Turn on the lights and wait for the bat to land.
2. Put on heavy gloves.
3. Gently cover the bat with a container like a coffee can or small bucket.
4. Slide cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside.
5. Tape the cardboard to the container so the bat cannot get out.
6. DO NOT LET THE BAT GO if it may have touched a person or pet.
7. Call the Albany County Health Department at (518) 447-4620 for help with testing the bat for rabies.

If a bat is released that might have touched someone, that person may need to get rabies shots just to be safe.

You cannot tell if a bat has rabies just by looking at it. The only way to know for sure is to have the bat tested in a lab.

But sometimes, a bat might be sick if you notice:

• It’s out during the day (bats usually come out at night).
• It’s on the ground or having trouble flying.
• It lets people or pets get very close without flying away.

Even if a bat looks normal, it could still have rabies. That’s why it’s important to capture any bat that has touched a person or pet and have it tested.

Bats like to find warm, quiet places to live, especially during spring and summer.

Bats might live:

• In attics
• Behind shutters
• Inside walls or other small spaces

Watch for bats leaving at dusk or coming back at dawn.

Keeping bats out of your home is one of the best ways to protect your family and pets from rabies.

Bats can squeeze through gaps as small as a pencil!

 To keep bats from getting inside:

• Seal up small cracks or holes in your home.
• Use screens, netting, metal, or caulk to close any openings.
• Make sure no bats are inside before you close up the openings.

DO NOT use chemicals or sprays to kill bats. This can make bats sick or cause them to come into contact with more people and pets.