Veterinary Public Health Program
313 N Figueroa St. Rm 1127
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tel (213) 288-7060
Fax (213) 481-2375 vet@ph.lacounty.gov
Adobe Reader
Note: PDF documents on this site were created using Adobe Acrobat
5.0 or later. If you are using an earlier version of Adobe Acrobat
Reader (4.x or less), document functionality may be reduced.
Bat in the House
If you encounter a bat in your home, think
carefully before you
release it outdoors.
The bat might
have exposed a person or pet to rabies, and might need
to be tested. Please read this page carefully. This
information is also available in the form of a
flow chart.
Have an encounter with a bat
in LA County?
Call Public Health for
rabies exposure consultation
213-989-7060 8-5pm
after hours 213-240-7941
(Physician on Call)
Did you see the bat enter your home?
NO
This is a higher-risk situation. Los Angeles
County residents should contact public health for
rabies exposure consultation at 213-989-7060 (during
business hours 8-5pm) or 213-240-7941 (after
hours).
Be prepared to discuss the following questions with
Public Health to determine if rabies exposure may have occurred:
Did the bat have access to a room in where someone was
sleeping?
Are there any small children present or other
individuals who may not be able to communicate whether
or not they’ve handled the bat?
Is there any way someone in your house could have been
in contact with the bat or exposed to rabies?
Do you have pets that may have come in contact with the
bat?
If there is any chance someone could have come in direct
contact with the bat, the bat needs to be captured and
submitted for rabies testing. Call your
local animal
control for assistance. If
you can do so, try to
safely capture and contain the bat
right away to prevent it from landing on people or pets.
If the test results are positive, anyone who may have
come in contact with the bat will need post-exposure
shots. (link to FAQ)
YES
If you saw the bat fly in and are
certain that it did not
have the opportunity come in contact with any people
or pets, you can trap the bat in one room, close the
doors, and open all windows to provide it with a chance
to escape. If it does not leave call your
local animal
control for assistance or
refer to HOW TO CAPTURE A BAT IN YOUR HOME.
A bat bite is very small and can easily go unnoticed
(especially if the victim is asleep), so please consider
the situation carefully and call public health if there
is any question.
HOW TO SAFELY CAPTURE A BAT IN YOUR HOME
1. Move children, incapacited adults, and pets away from
the bat.
2. Close all doors to trap it in one room
3. Put on leather work gloves.
4. Find a solid container such as coffee can, cardboard
box, or plastic container, a piece of cardboard large
enough to cover the opening, and tape to later seal the
cardboard to the container. Punch small air holes in the
cardboard. If the bat is on the floor, simply place your
container over it, then slide the cardboard carefully
underneath. If the bat is on a wall, gently place the
container over the bat and carefully slide a piece of
cardboard between the container and the wall to isolate
the bat. Tape the cardboard snugly to the container.
Place in a quiet shaded place, far from people and pets.
5. If there was any possibility the bat had direct
contact with a person or pet, contact your local animal
control (link to animal control) to arrange rabies
testing.
6. If the bat escapes or is not tested for any reason,
contact public health for a consultation on rabies
213-989-7060 during business hours and 213-240-7941
after business hours.
If you are certain that there is no possibility of
rabies exposure and that the bat did not come into
contact with any people or any pets, Wait until after
night falls to complete the release. Bats tend to have
more difficulty taking flight off the ground, so try to
release the bat onto an elevated surface. You can
release the bat by holding up the container, slowly
lifting the lid, and slightly tilting the cardboard.
Alternatively, you could also hold the container next to
a tree or wall when you lift it, allowing the bat to
cling onto a high surface.