08/21/2026
We love and appreciate our bat friends, and sometimes they end up in places they shouldn't be. "If you find a bat in your home, the first thing you should do is contain it. Gently place a box or container over the bat, then carefully slide cardboard underneath. Wear gloves or use a towel to avoid direct contact. NEVER touch a bat with bare-hands. To avoid injury, do not attempt to catch a bat in flight." Then evaluate to see if the bat is injured and ensure nobody has been bitten. If everything checks out and weather conditions are favorable set your box outside in the evening. If possible, place the box on its side on a high and textured surface such as a tree. This will allow the bat to get air under its wings so it can fly away. Bats cannot take off from the ground, so this step is important! If the bat doesn't fly away within about 15 min., please call NWR for further assistance!🦇
August and September are the most common months for unexpected bat encounters inside homes. That’s because young bats, born in early summer, are now starting to fly - and they don’t always get it right! Inexperienced flyers can accidentally enter attics, chimneys, or living spaces while learning to navigate the world.
If you find a bat in your home, the first thing you should do is contain it. Gently place a box or container over the bat, then carefully slide cardboard underneath. Wear gloves or use a towel to avoid direct contact. NEVER touch a bat with bare-hands. To avoid injury, do not attempt to catch a bat in flight.
Next, evaluate if the bat needs to be tested for rabies. If someone was bitten or the bat was found in a room with someone who was asleep, very young, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or someone otherwise unable to communicate or reliably report contact with the bat, keep it contained and contact your local health department. If you're in the Omaha metro area, you can contact the Nebraska Humane Society.
Provided it does not meet the requirements for testing listed previously and it is not raining or less than 60º F, you can release the bat outdoors at night from late April through mid-October in Nebraska. If weather conditions are not favorable or the bat is injured and doesn't fly away when you release it, please bring the bat to the Baldwin Wildlife Center or call us at (402) 234-2473 for assistance.
Like several other mammals, bats are considered a rabies vector species, which means rabies can occur in their populations. However, most bats never get the disease. Rabies is only spread when the virus enters the body through a bite or contact with saliva or nervous system tissue - not through blood, urine, or droppings.
Take reasonable precautions without resorting to unnecessary harm. Informed decision-making allows us to protect both human health and bats! Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/about/index.html
