How would a bat get into your house?

Question

I was in my living room and a bat flew by me!! I caught it, but now I wonder if my house is infested, or it is a random bat.

Answer 1

threw the attic

Answer 2

Anywhere you have an opening. Bats are very agile and good at avoiding colliding into surfaces but an open window or door wouldn't help them in echolocation.

Answer 3

You probably have a light on outside and the bat was attracted to the bugs flying around the light and accidentally flew inside your house. Bats don't hurt people, just insects. I hope you let it go outside because it could have been one of the Endangered ones.

Answer 4

could have been the chiminy too

Answer 5

ats, like most animals, follow the path of least resistance. They flourish in areas abundant in food, shelter, and the absence of predators. If you live in an area that is uniquely habitable for any particular species of bat, don’t be surprised if they try and move in.

Bats usually roost in dark, quiet, enclosed spaces where they are least likely to be disturbed by predators or inclement weather. Their natural habitats are caves and other such secluded areas and this is why your barn, shed or attic can be so attractive to a bat in search of safety. Some species are less picky and will roost in trees and dense foliage.

Bats can fit into openings as small as 1/2″ making almost every man-made structure a virtual smorgasbord of potential hiding places. Some of the places that bats have been found in man-made structures include but are not limited to:

    * Attics

    * Storage sheds

    * Barns

    * Unused and open structures (Dog houses, stables, etc)

    * Chimneys

    * Louvers

    * Soffits

    * Siding

    * Eaves

    * Roof tiles and shingles

    * Behind shutters

Bats are relatively timid creatures that normally go out of their way to avoid contact with humans. This is why you should be extremely careful if you encounter one up close and personal. Less than 1/2 of a percent of bats carry rabies, but those that do are more likely to become sick or disoriented increasing their likelihood of coming into contact with someone. Of the few rabies cases reported each year in the U.S., over half of them are caused by bat bites, so be very cautious when in close proximity and do not handle the bat with bare hands.

If a bat wanders into your home through an open door or window, the best way to usher it out is to seal it off from the rest of the house by closing the doors to adjacent rooms and opening all of the windows in the room in which it resides. Just give it a few hours and it will usually leave all by itself. If it decides to stick around or you simply don’t have the patience to wait for it to leave, you can capture the bat and release it outside.

If you’ve got bats living on your property and you want them out, the first thing you need to do is determine where they are roosting. Grab a chair and sit outside a few evenings with an eye to the sky. Are they in the trees? Around your house? Your neighbors houses? Make a list of every place they may be roosting based on your observation.

The next step is to go out during the day and examine closely all of the structures you’ve identified as possible roosting areas. Make a list of every opening larger than 1/2″ in diameter and keep an eye out for telltale signs of bat habitation. You may notice dark, pellet-like droppings on walls and around areas where they roost as well as dark smudges and stains in places which they come into direct contact.

Once their potential hiding places have been determined, it’s time to start ushering them out. Unfortunately, if your bats prefer trees there’s not much you can do to get rid of them other than removing the trees themselves. As for the list of openings you made in the last step, DO NOT go immediately out and seal them all up as you will trap many bats inside of the roost and end up with dead, rotting bats in hard to reach spaces which will cause even more problems with odors and pests. Be wary of the time of year you do this too - Maternity season for bats in the United States and Canada ranges from late April to late August and the roost may still contain babies that are unable to leave on their own. Roosts are almost never empty so you need to attach devices to these areas that allow the bats to exit, but not re-enter. Devices that accomplish this are called “Excluders” and can be purchased or made yourself. Making them yourself is easily accomplished by purchasing a length of tight-meshed netting, screen, or cloth and placing it over the opening, attaching it at the top so it forms a ‘flap’ over the entrence. This will allow the bat to push its way out, but will not allow it to get back in. Instructions for building exclusion devices for every possible type of nook and cranny can be found a Bat Conservation International.

Once you have all of the entrances fitted with an exclusion device, wait 7-10 days for all of the bats to leave before permanently sealing the openings. Use steel wool, cement, caulk, hardware cloth or plating. Do not use expanding foam – it is toxic and may kill any bats that return and come into contact with it when trying to re-enter.

If you don’t yet have a problem with bats and you’re more interested in preemptive bat-proofing, the best first step is to contact your local animal control or wildlife conservation agency for assistance or instructions specific to your geographical area. The most important step will usually be the elimination of any potential entry points. Scour the exterior of you home and nearby structures for openings 1/2″ or larger, and then

Answer 6

Most likely a random occurrence..they can get in through very tiny cracks or spaces.  I hope you released it unharmed as bats are extremely important to the ecosystem as pest control and pollinators of many of the foods we eat.