Bats, often misunderstood creatures of the night, frequently evoke fear due to common misconceptions. This article provides factual information about bat behavior and their interactions with humans. It clarifies why a bat might bite and outlines the steps to take if such an event occurs.
Understanding Bat Behavior
Bats are shy, nocturnal animals that actively avoid human contact. As the only mammals capable of true sustained flight, they navigate and locate prey using echolocation. Their erratic flight patterns at dusk are typically a result of hunting insects, not an attempt to interact with people. Most bats are quite small, many no larger than a mouse.
The diet of bats varies significantly across nearly 1,400 known species. The majority, about 70%, are insectivorous, consuming large quantities of pests like mosquitoes, beetles, and moths, making them valuable for ecological balance. Other species feed on fruit, nectar, pollen, or fish, illustrating their diverse roles in ecosystems. This wide range of feeding habits means humans are not a target or food source.
Reasons for Bat Bites
While bats generally do not attack people, bites can occur under specific, rare circumstances. A common reason is self-defense; a bat may bite if it feels threatened, is handled, or becomes cornered.
Bites also involve sick or injured bats, particularly those infected with rabies. A rabid bat might behave erratically, becoming disoriented or unable to fly, increasing the likelihood of unexpected contact and a bite. Bites can also happen through accidental contact, such as when a bat unknowingly flies into someone or is present in a living space where a person might be unaware of its presence. Bat teeth are small and sharp, and a bite mark may be minimal or even unnoticeable, sometimes resembling a pinprick.
The Rabies Risk
Rabies is a serious viral disease transmitted from bats to humans, primarily through saliva via a bite or scratch. While rabies is rare in bat populations (less than 0.5% carry the disease), bats are a leading cause of human rabies cases in the United States. This is largely because bat bites can be small and go unnoticed, especially if they occur during sleep or if the person is impaired. Once clinical symptoms appear in humans, the disease is almost always fatal.
Signs of rabies in bats include unusual behavior such as being active during the day, being found in odd locations (like on the ground or inside a home), or appearing unable to fly or easily approached. Never handle a bat, even if it seems docile or appears dead. If any potential contact with a bat occurs, seek immediate medical attention. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a series of injections that can prevent rabies if administered promptly after exposure, including thorough wound washing.
What to Do if You Find a Bat
If a bat is found inside your home, remain calm and avoid direct contact. If the bat is flying, guide it out by closing interior doors and opening windows or doors leading outside. Turning off indoor lights and turning on an outdoor light near the exit can encourage the bat to fly out.
If the bat lands and is stationary, you can safely contain it. Put on thick gloves, then place a small container, such as a coffee can or shoebox, over the bat. Carefully slide a piece of cardboard underneath to trap the bat inside. Once secured, take the container outside and release the bat in an elevated location, like a tree branch, as bats need to drop to take flight. If there is any possibility of contact with the bat, such as waking up to find a bat in your room or if a child or impaired person was present, contact your local public health department or a medical professional immediately to determine if rabies testing of the bat or post-exposure prophylaxis is needed.