Broome County Health Department Issues Bat Warning

The Broome County Health Department (BCHD) is getting ready for the annual surge in bat encounters and they want everyone else to be ready too. If you have pets, then now is a great time to make sure they are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. This could make a big difference in keeping them safe.

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Here's another thing to think about. Make sure that the outside of your house doesn't have any openings where a bat could get in. A little prevention now will go a long way in keeping those flying bats out of your belfry...or house.

What should you do if a bat crashes your party? If it swoops inside, then it's time for action. Your first reaction would be to catch it and release outside immediately. Believe it or not, that is not what you want to do. Instead, calmly and carefully catch it for testing. This will help reduce the need for rabies treatment later on.

To scoop up the bat safely, get some gloves and use a coffee can or something like it along with a piece of cardboard. Handle the bat gently and get in touch with BCHD. And if the bat shows up after hours, just keep it cool (not frozen!) until you can get ahold of the BCHD the next day.

What if you see a bat in your home and you know for sure it didn't interact with any humans or any pets? Close off interior rooms, open up outside doors and windows, and give the bat some room. Chances are, it'll make its own exit without causing any problem.

The BCHD won't come swooping in to get rid of the bat from your house. If you can't or don't want to handle the capture yourself, reach out to a pro for help. If the bat disappears before you can snag it, give the BCHD a call during regular hours to find out about potential rabies treatment.

For a cool video demo on how to nab a bat safely and more info, check this out: www.gobroomecounty.com/eh/rabies. By taking just a few steps to test bats, we can skip unnecessary rabies treatments.