Bats will not fly into your hair or attack you
While chasing insects, bats often fly erratically. This has led some people to mistakenly believe they are being "attacked" by the bat. Actually, bats are proficient flyers and can easily catch insects while avoiding people.
Not all bats carry rabies
The percentage of infected bats is very small, less than one percent. Although incidence of rabies is bats is low, a bat with rabies may show no outward sign of infection. Therefore, whenever handling a bat, ALWAYS protect yourself by wearing leather gloves.
Any bat bite or scratch should be considered serious. If someone has been bitten or scratched, attempt to capture the bat without damaging its head, so that it can be analyzed for rabies. Any wound should be thoroughly washed. Then contact county health officials or your doctor immediately to determine how to have the bat tested and what medical treatment might be needed.
Bats are beneficial and gentle creatures
The enormous quantities of mosquitos and other insects that bats consume each year make summers in Minnesota more livable.
Sometimes bats become a nuisance
The most common bat/human interactions involve a single bat that has found its way into a house or a colony of bats that has taken up residence in an attic, chimney or other structure.
If you have a problem bat, please use the links in the left menu to find information about repellants, removal, permanent exclusion, and cleanup methods.