Québec's bats are insect eaters, useful, and in steep decline. Several species are threatened, largely because of white-nose syndrome. They do not attack people and they do not get caught in hair.
That said, a bat is one of the few animals in Québec where rabies is still present. The health rule is strict: as soon as contact is possible, even without a felt bite, the animal must not be released before health authorities give their opinion.
What to do
- Get people and pets out of the room and close the door.
- Turn off the lights and open a window or door wide to the outside: often it will leave on its own.
- If it lands, cover it with a box, slide a stiff piece of cardboard underneath, and keep it closed.
- Wear thick gloves, never bare hands.
- Check whether anyone was sleeping in the room, or whether a young child was present: in that case contact is assumed to have occurred.
What to avoid
- Touching it bare-handed.
- Killing or crushing it: beyond the fact that these are protected species, a damaged skull makes rabies testing impossible.
- Releasing it immediately if human contact is possible.
- Sealing a colony in a roof space between June and August: the young cannot fly yet and would die inside.
If there has been contact
Wash the area with soap and water for fifteen minutes, then contact Info-Santé at 811. Preventive rabies treatment is highly effective, but it has to start quickly. Keep the animal safely in a closed container: the authorities will decide whether it needs testing.
What should I do if a bat gets into the house?
Isolate the room, turn off the lights and open a window so it can leave on its own. Never touch it bare-handed. If anyone had contact with it, or slept in the same room, do not release it: keep it in a closed container and call Info-Santé at 811.
