How to Live Trap Bats

Bats can be a real nuisance when let loose in your home. It's understandable that you'd want to get them out of your house as fast as possible. But these flying pests are an important part of the ecosystem, eating thousands of insects and keeping nature in balance. That's why it's important to live-trap bats and release them back into the wild. In most cases, when a bat has gotten into your home, you can remove it yourself, as long as you follow the proper, safe steps.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic container
• Cardboard
• Butterfly net

Instructions

Live-Trapping Stationary Bats

1. Locate the bat. This sounds easier than it is. Often, bats are quite small, and unless they're flying in your face, they're a tad hard to spot. They can fit in tight spaces--even behind picture frames--so be patient when scanning your home for the bat.

2. Wait until the bat lands. If it's flying around, all you can really do is keep your eye on it until it lands. It's much easier to trap a bat after it has landed than when it's flying around erratically.

3. Once the bat has come to a rest, approach it slowly and place a plastic container over it to pin it down. Be careful when placing the container over the bat, to avoid pinching its wings or extremities.

4. Slide a piece of cardboard between the surface on which the bat is resting and the container. Move slowly; there's no rush here. You merely want to nudge the bat away from the surface and on top of the cardboard, not injure it.

5. Take the trapped bat outside and release it. Slowly remove the cardboard from the container and nudge the container into the air to give the bat some lift. It should take off quickly.

Live-Trapping Flying Bats

1. Find the bat and keep your eye on it. Trying to trap a flying bat is quite a bit more difficult than trying to trap one that's stationary--but it can be done. Before you even think about trying to capture it, keep a watchful eye on it, first. Once they land, bats can be hard to locate, so be mindful while it's in the air.

2. Wait until the bat swoops down and comes within your grasp. You may have to wait a while for this to occur, so be patient. There's no use in wasting your energy by jumping up and down trying to swipe at the bat when it's up by the ceiling.

3. Use the butterfly net to capture the bat. You can do this by swinging the open end of the net toward the bat and then turning your aim downward to trap it on the floor.

4. Use the steps outlined in Section 1 to contain the bat and release it outside. Or, you can pinch off the net near where it attaches to the pole and then simply release your grasp once you are outdoors. The bat should fly away easily.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact professionals if you find more than one bat in your home.

• Don't touch bats for any reason. They can carry diseases like rabies, which are transmittable to humans.

• Don't relocate bat colonies. Should you discover a bat colony in your attic, call professionals. You can't simply catch and release all of the bats, as they will come back.

• Don't kill bats. They are an essential part of the ecosystem. If you can't deal with an intruding bat yourself, call a professional.