A Bat Just Flew Into Your House — Here Is What to Do (and Not Do)

Published April 7, 2026 · Extermination DMP

It is 11pm. Something swoops past your head in the hallway. Your partner screams. The cat loses its mind. There is a bat in your house.

Before you grab a tennis racket, stop. This situation has a specific protocol — and getting it wrong has real health consequences.

Step 1: Stay Calm and Assess

A bat flying in your living space is disoriented and scared. It does not want to be there. It will not attack you. Bats are not aggressive toward humans.

But you need to answer one critical question: Was anyone sleeping in the room with the bat?

This matters because bat bites are tiny — often undetectable. A sleeping person can be bitten without waking up. And bats are a primary vector for rabies in Quebec.

If yes — someone was sleeping and the bat was in the room:

Do NOT release the bat. You need it captured and tested for rabies.
Call 811 (Info-Santé) immediately for guidance on rabies post-exposure protocol.
If you cannot safely capture the bat, call 311 or animal control.

If no — everyone was awake and no one had physical contact:

You can release the bat safely (see Step 2).
No rabies concern if there was no contact.

Step 2: Contain and Release (If No Contact)

Close off the room

Shut all doors to other rooms. Open one window or exterior door in the room where the bat is flying. Turn off the lights. The bat will navigate toward the outside air using echolocation. Most bats find the exit within 10-30 minutes.

If it lands on a wall or curtain

Put on thick leather gloves (gardening gloves work)
Place a container (plastic tupperware, coffee can) over the bat
Slide a piece of cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside
Take it outside and release it by placing the container on a flat surface and removing the lid
Release at dusk or nighttime — bats released during daylight are vulnerable to predators

Do NOT

Swing at a flying bat — you will miss and the bat will become more agitated
Handle a bat with bare hands — ever
Use sticky traps — they cause unnecessary suffering
Kill the bat — bats are protected wildlife in Quebec and play an important ecological role

Step 3: Find Out How It Got In

A bat inside your living space means there is an opening somewhere. Common entry points in Montreal homes:

Gaps at the roofline — where the soffit meets the fascia, or where different roof sections intersect
Unscreened attic vents — gable vents, ridge vents, soffit vents without mesh
Gaps around the chimney — where the flashing meets the brick or siding
Open windows without screens — the simplest entry point
Gaps in old window frames — particularly in pre-1970 homes

A single bat can squeeze through a gap as small as 10mm — about the width of your pinky finger.

One Bat vs. A Colony

One bat that flew in through an open window is a random event. Close the window, install a screen, problem solved. Multiple bats over days or weeks means you have a colony roosting in your attic, walls, or eaves. Bat colonies in Quebec can number from 10 to several hundred individuals. They return to the same roost year after year.

Signs of a colony:

Bat droppings (guano) accumulating on the ground below an entry point — looks like dark rice-sized pellets
Staining on the building exterior near entry points (from body oils)
Chittering or squeaking sounds from the attic or walls at dusk
Multiple bats seen leaving the building at sunset

Colony Removal in Quebec

Bat colony removal is highly regulated in Quebec. Several bat species are designated as vulnerable or at risk under provincial wildlife laws.

What is legal:

Exclusion — installing one-way devices that allow bats to leave but not re-enter
Timing restriction — exclusion can only be done between September 1 and April 30 (outside of the maternity season when flightless pups are in the roost)
Sealing — permanent closure of all entry points after the colony has departed

What is illegal:

Killing bats
Using pesticides on bat colonies
Exclusion during maternity season (May 1 - August 31) when pups cannot fly
Disturbing or destroying roosting sites without proper exclusion

Hire a licensed wildlife control operator who is experienced with bat exclusion. This is not a DIY job — it requires knowledge of bat behavior, building construction, and provincial regulations.

Health Concerns: Rabies and Histoplasmosis

Rabies

Bats are the primary source of human rabies cases in Canada, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. While the overall incidence is very low, rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. This is why the "sleeping person" protocol exists — if there is any chance of undetected contact, rabies post-exposure prophylaxis may be recommended.

Histoplasmosis

Bat guano (droppings) can harbor the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. When disturbed, the spores become airborne and can cause histoplasmosis — a respiratory infection. This is primarily a concern when cleaning large accumulations of guano in enclosed spaces (attics, wall cavities).

Professional cleanup with appropriate respiratory protection (N95 minimum) is recommended for significant guano accumulations. Do not sweep or vacuum dry guano.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are bats protected in Quebec?

Yes. Several bat species in Quebec are designated as vulnerable or at risk under the Loi sur les espèces menacées ou vulnérables. You cannot kill bats or destroy their roosting sites. Exclusion must be performed by licensed professionals during the permitted season (September - April).

How much does bat exclusion cost in Montreal?

Professional bat exclusion for a residential property costs $500-$2,000 depending on the number of entry points and the size of the colony. Guano cleanup, if needed, adds $500-$1,500. This is a job where cutting costs by hiring an inexperienced operator usually results in bats returning.

Got a pest problem?

Extermination DMP serves Montreal, the South Shore, Laval & the West Island — 24/7.

Call 438-879-5706