A bat in your bedroom is a rabies concern. Here is exactly what to do. Finding a bat flying around your living room or clinging to your bedroom curtain is frightening, unlike bats in the attic, a bat in your living space is an immediate health concern, but panic is your worst enemy. Bats are the leading source of rabies exposure in the United States, and their bites can be so small, a bat’s teeth are needle-thin, that you might not even feel one. This guide covers the exact steps to contain the bat, protect your household, and decide whether rabies testing or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is needed.
Health Disclaimer: Rabies is a nearly 100% fatal viral disease once symptoms appear. For professional bat removal costs, always get a quote after containment.
The information in this guide is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice from a doctor or instructions from your local health department.
If you or a family member may have been exposed to a bat, seek medical attention immediately. When in doubt, err on the side of caution, rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is safe and highly effective when given promptly.
Key Takeaways
- Never handle a bat barehanded: Rabies can transmit through a bite or scratch, even a bite you cannot see or feel. Always wear thick leather gloves or use a container.
- Contain the bat immediately: Isolate the bat in one room, close the door, and open a window if safe. Do not release it outside unless you are certain no human or pet had contact.
- Call animal control for testing: If the bat was in a room with a sleeping person, unattended child, or anyone unable to confirm they were not bitten, the bat must be tested for rabies.
- Vaccinate your pets: Dogs and cats should have current rabies vaccinations. If a pet had contact with the bat, contact your veterinarian immediately.
In This Guide
Step-by-Step Emergency Response
Follow these steps in order. Speed matters, if the bat needs to be tested for rabies, it must be captured alive or kept cool for testing to be accurate.
Evacuate people and pets from the room
Quietly leave the room where the bat is located. Close the door behind you and seal the gap at the bottom with a towel. Keep children and pets in another part of the house. Do not swat at the bat or chase it, that increases the chance of a bite and may drive it deeper into the home.
Check everyone in the room for exposure
Ask every person who was in the room with the bat whether they felt a bite or scratch. Check exposed skin carefully. Bat bites often look like a tiny pinprick and may already be invisible by morning.
If the room contained a sleeping person, an infant, a toddler, an intoxicated adult, or anyone with a cognitive impairment who cannot reliably report a bite, assume exposure occurred.
Contain the bat in a single room
Close all interior doors and open a window in the bat’s room if it is safe to do so. Turn off the lights, bats naturally follow air currents toward darkness when seeking an exit. Do not turn on ceiling fans or air conditioning, as airflow changes confuse the bat. If the bat is flying, it will eventually land when exhausted, making capture easier.
Safely capture the bat (do not release it yet)
Put on thick leather or rubber gloves. Never handle a bat with bare hands. Use the jar method described below to capture the bat against a wall, floor, or curtain.
Place the container in a cool, quiet location away from people and pets. Do not release the bat until you have confirmed with animal control or your health department that testing is not needed.
Contact animal control and your doctor
Call your local animal control or health department. Tell them you have a bat in your home and describe the circumstances (who was in the room, whether anyone was sleeping, whether any pets were present).
They will advise whether the bat needs to be submitted for rabies testing. At the same time, call your doctor or an urgent care center to discuss whether you need post-exposure prophylaxis.
When to Test for Rabies
Not every bat sighting requires rabies testing. The decision depends entirely on the possibility of a bite or scratch that went unnoticed. Bat incisors and canine teeth are extremely small, about 1 millimeter across, so a bite can look like nothing more than a small red dot, or leave no visible mark at all.
High-Risk Scenarios That Require Testing
- Bat found in a room with a sleeping person. You cannot reliably confirm you were not bitten while asleep. The CDC classifies this as a rabies exposure scenario.
- Bat found in a room with an unattended child or infant. Young children may not wake up from a bat bite or may not be able to communicate that it happened.
- Bat found in a room with an intoxicated, elderly, or cognitively impaired person. Anyone who cannot give a reliable account of contact should be treated as potentially exposed.
- Direct physical contact with the bat. If you or a pet touched the bat or if the bat touched exposed skin, the bat must be tested.
- A pet or livestock animal was found holding the bat in its mouth. Pets with current rabies vaccinations need a booster; unvaccinated pets may require quarantine.
Low-Risk Scenarios Where Testing Is Not Needed
- Bat was in an empty room or attic. If no person or pet was present, you can safely release the bat outside.
- Contact with bat droppings (guano), urine, or blood. Rabies is transmitted through saliva or neural tissue, not through feces or urine.
- Bat was seen outdoors only. Seeing a bat fly at dusk does not constitute an exposure.
Your local health department makes the final call on whether to test. When in doubt, capture and keep the bat until you receive guidance, once released, testing is impossible.
Warning: Never handle a bat with bare hands, not even a bat that appears dead or injured. Rabies virus is present in the saliva and neural tissue of an infected bat, and a bite or scratch can transmit the virus even if no blood is drawn.
Always wear thick leather or rubber gloves when approaching any bat. If you must touch a bat for containment, use a container or thick cloth as a barrier, direct skin contact is never acceptable. If barehanded contact occurs accidentally, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water for 15 minutes and go to the emergency room immediately.
How to Safely Capture a Bat
The safest and most effective method for catching a single bat that has landed on a wall, curtain, or floor is the jar method. You need only a few household items.
Pro Tip, The Jar Method: Find a wide-mouth glass jar or plastic deli container (at least 16 ounces) and a stiff piece of cardboard or thin plastic lid. Put on thick leather or rubber gloves.
Slowly approach the bat and place the container over it. Gently slide the cardboard between the container rim and the surface the bat is on, trapping the bat inside.
Flip the container upright and screw the lid or tape the cardboard in place. Make sure the container has small air holes (poke them before you begin) and keep it in a cool, quiet room until animal control advises you what to do next.
Alternative methods: If the bat is flying and will not land, turn off the lights and leave a single window open with the screen removed.
The bat will often find its way out within 30 to 60 minutes. If it does not, wait until it lands from exhaustion, then use the jar method. Never use a flyswatter, broom, or vacuum cleaner, these can injure the bat and make testing impossible if rabies is a concern.
If the bat is dead, do not touch it directly. Use a doubled plastic bag as a glove, pick up the bat, invert the bag to seal it, and refrigerate (do not freeze) the bag if testing is anticipated. Contact animal control to arrange pickup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get rabies from bat guano (droppings)? No. Rabies is transmitted through saliva or neural tissue, not through feces, urine, or blood. However, bat guano can carry histoplasmosis, a fungal respiratory infection, wear a mask when cleaning large accumulations.
What happens during rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)? PEP consists of one dose of rabies immune globulin (HRIG) injected around the wound site, followed by four doses of rabies vaccine given over 14 days (days 0, 3, 7, and 14). PEP is highly effective at preventing rabies if started before symptoms appear.
How long do I have to get PEP after a bat exposure? PEP should be started as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours. However, PEP can still be effective weeks after exposure if the person has not yet developed symptoms. Do not delay: contact your doctor or emergency room immediately.
Can I release the bat outside instead of testing it? Only if you are 100% certain that no person or pet was in the same room as the bat and that no direct contact occurred.
If there is any uncertainty, a sleeping person, a child, or a pet was in the room, you must keep the bat for testing. Once released, rabies testing is impossible.
What should I do if my pet caught the bat? Check your pet’s rabies vaccination status. If your pet is current on vaccinations, it needs a booster shot within 5 days.
If your pet is unvaccinated, it may need to be quarantined for 4 to 6 months or euthanized depending on local regulations. Contact your veterinarian immediately and do not handle the bat without gloves.
Related Resources
After handling the emergency, read our full bat in the attic guide for permanent exclusion. Check bat exclusion products and bat removal cost guide for next steps.
Not sure about the next steps? See DIY vs Professional Wildlife Removal.
Why Trust Us
WildAnimalsCentral.com has been providing expert-verified wildlife information since 2014. Our content is reviewed against current CDC guidelines, state health department protocols, and peer-reviewed wildlife disease research.
This guide was updated in 2026 to reflect the latest rabies prevention recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV).
We do not provide medical advice. Rabies management decisions should always be made in consultation with a physician or your local health department. If you suspect a rabies exposure, seek medical care immediately.
