Never handle a bat. Although it is not very common, bats are a vector species that can carry rabies.
You can evict bats yourself, but you need to do it the right way to keep yourself and bats safe. Bat Conservation International has great information for homeowners on how to evict bats.
Using excluding devices such as one-way doors at entry points is a safe and effective way to get bats out of your home without harming them.
Bats will not chew, scratch, or nest. If wires, wood, or metal are being chewed through, you likely have a rodent living in the space.
No, bats are hibernating during this time because their food source, flying insects, is not available. Furthermore, a bat that is forced outside during the winter will likely freeze to death.
Never handle a bat. Please leave that to the professionals.
If you come across a group of five or more freshly dead bats with intact carcasses, we ask that you safely place them in a bag (preferably with each bat in a separate bag), freeze them, and report. If you find a sick or dead bat please report it here. You may need to also contact a wildlife rehabilitator.
The bat may need to be submitted for rabies testing.
To capture a bat safely, find a sturdy box that you can punch small air holes in, then put on leather work gloves. Once the bat lands, approach the bat slowly and place the box over the bat. Then slide a rigid paper or lid between the bat and the box to trap it, then secure the box with tape.
Keep people and pets out of the room with the bat.
Isolate the bat by closing doors or openings to other rooms.
The bat may leave if you open an external door or window, turn off all lights, and calmly wait.
If the bat does not leave, you can safely capture the bat and release it, or contact a wildlife control operator.
To capture a bat safely, find a sturdy box that you can punch small air holes in, then put on leather work gloves. Once the bat lands, approach the bat slowly and place the box over the bat. Then slide a rigid paper or lid between the bat and the box to trap it.
To safely release a bat, take the box outside, set the box on its side against a tree where people and pets cannot access it, and remove the temporary lid. The bat may climb out and up the tree. If the bat does not leave, it may be dehydrated, injured, or sick – please contact a wildlife rehabilitator.
You should not remove trees or branches larger than 3 inches in diameter while bats may be present from April 1 through Sept. 30.
Additional precautions should be taken for special circumstances such as if you live near a bat hibernation site.
To avoid harming bats, if possible, it is best to not harvest trees at all. If you do harvest, leave trees that border a stream or river, and keep any dead trees that do not pose a safety hazard. These trees can be important bat habitat.
This should be done in late fall or during winter when the bats have left the bat house to return to hibernation sites for the winter.
A bat house removed for construction purposes should be replaced in the same spot or as close as possible to the original location once construction is complete.
An unoccupied bat house may be moved at any time of the year, especially if a new location might offer better roosting habitat for bats.
A bat house should never be moved between June 1 and Aug. 15 when baby bats will likely be present.
Yes. We have a bat house distribution plan that allows us to give free bat houses to those who request one. Those who take one are required to survey and monitor bats living in bat houses or structures each summer. Apply to be a part of our Bat Monitoring Project.
Maintain native plants and trees or establish a pollinator garden.
Install a bat house.
Become a bat advocate. Participate in Bat Week to learn more about bats and to share that knowledge with family and friends.
Reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides in and around your home. These toxins will disrupt the food supply for bats and potentially cause harm or death to bats.
Mountain lions are rare visitors to Indiana, in almost all cases, reported observations of a mountain lion are a bobcat or housecat.
Mountain lions are much larger than bobcats. Bobcats weigh between 11-35 pounds and are 2-3 feet long with a 6-inch tail, while mountain lions weigh between 66-187 pounds and are 7-8 feet long with a 3-4 foot tail.
You can learn more about how to differentiate between species from our mountain lion and bobcat pages.
If you have a photo of the animal, or its scat and tracks, these can help the mammalogists identify the species. Place a common object such as a coin, pencil, or ruler near the track to help with identification. Or if submitting a photo, please send along another photo, taken from the same location, of another animal or object.
For most Hoosiers, the answer is no; however, residents of southern Indiana are more likely to see a black bear than elsewhere in the state because nearby black bear populations in other states are closest to this region Indiana.
No. Bear habitat in Indiana is greatly reduced compared to what it once was, and until Hoosiers are more familiar with how to live with bears it would be unwise to introduce a bear to the state.
