Bats are often misunderstood creatures. These wild mammals have natural instincts that guide their interactions. Understanding their typical behaviors clarifies how they usually respond to human presence.
Understanding Bat Behavior
Bats are predominantly nocturnal, meaning they are active during the night. This allows them to exploit a niche where there is less competition for food and fewer predators, such as birds of prey, are active. During their nocturnal foraging, bats rely heavily on echolocation, a sophisticated biological sonar system. They emit high-frequency sounds, often beyond human hearing, and interpret the echoes that bounce back from objects in their environment. This enables them to create a detailed acoustic map of their surroundings, allowing them to navigate, locate prey, and avoid obstacles with remarkable precision, even in complete darkness.
Bats generally exhibit a natural wariness of humans. Like most wild animals, they perceive humans as a potential threat. If disturbed, a healthy bat’s primary response is usually to fly away, utilizing its agility and echolocation to escape. Their flight patterns, which can appear erratic to an observer, are often precise maneuvers for hunting insects or avoiding collisions. This avoidance behavior is a fundamental survival instinct, not an indication of aggression.
Why Some Bats Don’t Fly Away
While bats typically avoid humans, there are specific situations where a bat might not flee, which can be concerning. A bat active during daylight hours, found on the ground, or appearing unable to fly, may be sick or injured. Such unusual behavior is a strong indicator that the bat is compromised and should not be approached.
One significant concern is rabies, a serious viral disease that bats can carry, though the incidence in bat populations is low. Rabid bats may exhibit neurological symptoms, including disorientation, difficulty flying, or a lack of defensive behavior. If a bat allows itself to be easily approached or handled, it could be infected.
Bats may also be unable to fly away due to injury, such as a broken wing or other physical trauma. They might be temporarily stunned from flying into a window or too chilled to fly, especially if found on the ground outdoors during colder weather. In some instances, bats can become disoriented or trapped inside human structures like homes or garages. In these cases, their erratic flight is typically an attempt to find an exit, not an act of aggression. Young or inexperienced bats, often called pups, might also make mistakes as they learn to fly, leading them to be found in unusual places.
Interacting Safely with Bats
Encountering a bat, especially one that does not fly away, requires caution to ensure safety. The most important rule is never to touch a bat with bare hands, due to the potential risk of disease, including rabies. Bat bites can be very small and difficult to detect, making direct contact risky.
If a bat is found inside a living space, especially if there’s been contact with a person or pet, or if it’s in a room with a sleeping or incapacitated individual, contact local animal control, a wildlife rehabilitator, or public health officials. These professionals can safely capture the bat for rabies testing and provide guidance. If the bat appears healthy and is simply disoriented indoors, opening a window or exterior door and isolating the room can encourage it to leave on its own.
To prevent bats from entering homes, sealing potential entry points is effective. Bats can fit through surprisingly small openings, as little as 3/8 to 1 inch. Inspecting and sealing gaps in roofs, vents, chimneys, and around windows with caulk, mesh, or weather stripping can help. Installing bat houses in a yard can also provide an alternative roosting site for local bat populations, encouraging them to stay away from human dwellings. If a bat is observed outdoors and appears healthy, it should simply be left alone and admired from a distance.