FAQ – Illinois Bat Conservation Program

Living with bats

What do I do if there is a single bat in my house?

You can most likely get a bat to fly out of the house if you contain it to one room and open a door or window. Try to maintain a calm demeanor as much as possible to keep the bat calm as well. If the bat does not fly out, refer to – https://www.batcon.org/about-bats/bats-in-homes-buildings/

If you have any concerns you or a family member may have been bitten, contact your local public health department and your doctor immediately.

What do I do if there is a whole group of bats in my house?

If you would like to try to exclude the bats yourself, you will need to avoid any disturbance during the maternity season (early May-early September) when mothers and young may become separated. https://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/environmental-health-protection/structural-pest-control/bats-exclusion

Be sure to check the notes from Bat Conservation International exclusion information – http://www.batcon.org/resources/for-specific-issues/bats-in-buildings/excluding-a-colony

You can find licensed exclusion experts in Illinois here – https://wildlifeillinois.org/remove-nuisance-wildlife/hire-a-wildlife-control-operator
Chicagoland option: https://landmarkpest.com/

Why aren't bats using my bat house?

Bat houses are great, especially when bats are being excluded from a nearby roost, bat houses can provide critical habitat. However, if bats are already comfortably roosting somewhere, they are unlikely to go looking for another home. For this reason it can take years for a bat house to be utilized.

That being said, there is a lot of information available by Bat Conservation International (http://www.batcon.org/resources/getting-involved/bat-houses) to increase the likelihood of your bat house being occupied.

I found a bat, what do I do?

If the bat does not appear injured and it is in a place unlikely to come in contact with people, it is best not to disturb it. During the fall and spring, bats are migrating which is a stressful time due to the energy needed for long distance travel and low numbers of insects available for food.

If the bat is in an area with human traffic (playground, heavy use sidewalk, etc), you may consider safely (using leather gloves) moving the bat to a tree limb where it is out of reach. Some bats cannot take off from the ground, so elevating the bat to a limb without a lot of leaves or underbrush (giving them a clear path off the limb) will give them a better chance of taking off.

If you think the bat may have come in contact with anyone and potentially bit them or it is in a high traffic area and you cannot move it, you should call your local public health department.

Unfortunately in the state of Illinois, wildlife rehabilitators are not allowed to accept bats.

Getting Involved

How can I get involved?

As of now, the only way to get involved as a citizen scientist in our program is to participate in the roost form (https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/5172483) which we may follow up with you to complete an emergence survey.

If you live in Will or Lake County, the forest preserve districts have volunteer bat acoustics programs you can participate in. If you live in Chicago, the Lincoln Park Zoo may have some options if you contact their team (https://www.lpzoo.org/science-project/monitoring-bat-diversity-in-and-around-chicago/).