WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Several families tell 7 News they’ve found bats in their homes. So what should you do if you find yourself with an unwanted flying guest?
According to Jefferson County Public Health, this time of year, an increased number of bats make their way into homes, often unintentionally. A bat wreaked havoc in the Fregoe household after flying in through an open window.
“I was like that’s pretty cool. I’d never seen a bat before,” said Aiden Fregoe.
“When my son told me there’s a bat in the house, I was like, no, not again. I’m not dealing with this again. I was still traumatized from the last time. I am not doing this again,” said Meagan Fregoe.
While it’s uncommon, bats can carry rabies. If one makes its way into your home, Jefferson County Rabies Control Coordinator Jeff Leiendecker says the best thing to do is capture it. A video telling you exactly what to do can be found on the Jefferson County Public Health website.
“If someone finds a bat in their home, we want them to take precautions. Try to isolate it in a room. Ideally, if they’re able to safely contain the bat, wear gloves. Cover up. Avoid direct contact with the bat,” said Leindecker.
He points out that it’s important to simply capture, and not kill, the bat.
“If it does need to be tested for public health needs to protect people at the home, we want to make sure it isn’t crushed because it needs to be a relatively intact specimen for the lab to test it,” he said.
Also, make sure to keep your pets’ rabies vaccines up to date, even if they live strictly indoors.
“It’s public health law for one. The reason for that is we don’t want a pet to become a bridge of exposure of rabies. From a wild animal to a pet, to a person,” said Leindecker.
Leindecker reiterates, the most important thing to do in the event of a bat invasion is to contact your county’s public health office. An operator there will know what to do.
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