Management

Indoor Structures
(Schools, day care centers, hospitals, health care clinics, prisons, fairs, camps, etc.)

Bat Flying in or Roosting in an Occupied Building
  • Evaluate situation for potential risk, consider exclusion and batproofing as soon as possible
Building Small, Leading to Close Proximity Of Bat to Occupants, and Children Are Present
  • Leave one person in building to observe bat
  • Remove occupants from building, as well as adults who will not be involved in capturing the bat
  • Make a list of building occupants while they exit the building or immediately afterwards
  • Capture bat report incident to Madison Animal Control Officer at 203-245-2721 or Madison Health Department at 203-245-5681; submit bat for rabies testing
Bat Present Indoors With Sleeping Adults or Unattended Children
  • Leave one person in building to observe bat
  • Remove occupants from building, as well as adults who will not be involved in capturing the bat
  • Make a list of building occupants while they exit the building or immediately afterwards
  • Capture bat
  • Report incident to Madison Animal Control Officer at 203-245-2721 or Madison Health Department at 203-245-5681; submit bat for rabies testing
Known or Suspected Contact With a Bat
  • Capture bat
  • Immediately make list of those with possible contact
  • Have those persons with possible contact wash the area of potential contact with soap and water
  • Report incident to Madison Animal Control Officer at 203-245-2721 or Madison Health Department at 203-245-5681; submit bat for rabies testing
  • Depending on severity, consider having wounds evaluated by health care provider for medical treatment
Outdoors - Public Locations
Bats Observed Flying at Night Outside
  • Provide general education to persons frequenting location about bats and risk of rabies, avoiding exposures, and reporting possible exposures
Bat Observed Flying Outside in Daytime
  • Provide general education to persons frequenting location about bats and risk of rabies, avoiding exposures, and reporting possible exposures (note: if bat appears to be aggressively and deliberately swooping at people, keep people away from area, capture bat, contact Madison Animal Control Officer at 203-245-2721 or Madison Health Department at 203-245-5681 and submit for rabies testing)
Bat Found Outside Grounded or Roosting in a Location Accessible to the Public
  • Restrict access to area
  • Temporarily contain bat, for example with an inverted pail or coffee can
  • Capture bat
  • Report incident to Madison Animal Control Officer at 203-245-2721 or Madison Health Department at 203-245-5681; submit bat for rabies testing.