Little brown bats are active during this time of year and may be carriers of rabies. The Oswego County Health Department advises people to capture a bat anytime one may have come in contact with a person or pet.
OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Health Department is seeing an increase in reports of bats found in homes over the past few weeks.
Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang said today (Jan. 17) that it’s not unusual for people to find bats in their homes during the winter.
“Experts advise bats may ‘awaken’ occasionally during the winter to move around, or to adjust to changing temperatures. If their spot becomes too warm or too cold, they can find their way out of their hibernation space and into the house,” Huang explained.
Huang said there are several steps that should be taken whenever there is a possibility of a person or pet being exposed to a potentially rabid bat:
The bat should be captured, taking care to avoid damage to its head.
All “bat-related” incidents should be reported immediately to the health department’s environmental division. The staff will investigate to determine the threat of exposure to people and pets.
To reach the department weekdays, call 315-349-3564. In an emergency during evenings, weekends or holidays, call the health department’s answering service at 315-341-0086.
For instructions on how to capture a bat, watch the New York State Department of Health video, “Catch a Bat Safely,” https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/ or go to https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/bats/homes.htm.
Two types of bats, the little brown bat and big brown bat, may end up in a house in the winter, but residents are more likely to encounter a big brown bat in their home.
Big brown bats typically have an 11- to 13-inch wingspan and a body size of approximately four to five inches.
They are more solitary than little brown bats and are more likely to hibernate in an attic, crawl space or wall.
The health department reminds pet owners that all dogs, cats, and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies.
Even animals that remain indoors can be exposed to rabies through a bite or scratch from a rabid bat.
The health department will announce the 2018 rabies clinic schedule in the spring.
For more information visit www.oswegocounty.com/health/rabies.pdf or https://www.facebook.com/OswegoHealthDpt/
Discover more from Oswego County Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Please, Please, Please. There is very seldom a need to tests bats that you find in your home in the winter time. Big Browns will only bite out of self-defense. If you use gloves or other protective means to capture it, please call a local rehabilitator (see the DNR widlife)to have it over -wintered and released in the Spring. We have been rescuing bats for 18 years and have rescued anywhere from 36 to 200 in a season. People’s health is our concern but so is saving our wildlife from needless deaths.
Bats are so helpful to our environment, and now with the advent of this white nose disease, becoming more rare. WITHOUT BATS, say good by to many of the foods you enjoy as they are mother nature’s pollinators. So try to save them, rather than kill them, no matter what your health authorities indicate that ALL of them are a dnager to our health. Unless you are bitten, or do not use protective wear when saving them (a nice bucket will help), you should be able to rescue rather than kill our friends!
Just because they have the misfortune of picking your attic or home, doesn’t mean they are a dangerous creature. Would you destroy a dog or cat just because they entered your home for warmth, and Bats are warm-blooded creatures.
PLEASE!!! Snakes are often the same.