EAU CLAIR, Wisconsin (WEAU) – The Eau Claire City and County Health Department is advising people to take steps to keep their homes safe from bats.

This is because the Department of Health has reported an increasing number of bat sightings in the area.

Sightings raise concerns for the health of residents, with rabies being the main disease to watch out for.

“So our main concern with bats is rabies. When it comes to Wisconsin, they’re one of the leading carriers of rabies,” said Nolan Fadones, an environmental health expert in the Department of Health. .

“Bats will get the highest percentage of calls, no doubt,” said Jared Hanson. He is one of the owners of Prompt Action Pest Control in Altoona.

He explains how bats can invade homes.

“Bats can find very small cracks and enter your home,” says Hanson.

What should you do if you come across bats in your home?

“First, we need to figure out if anyone in the house is infected,” Fadones said. “If a bat is in the room when you wake up, if a child, pet, drunk person, or mentally handicapped person is in the room unattended and you find a bat in the room, consider that also exposure. please give me.”

Fadness also adds, “If you happen to see a bat walking into your living room, we don’t consider it an exposure.”

Bats are small enough to fit in small spaces, so it can be difficult to keep them out.

“Seal your home. Make sure your screens are in good condition, walk around your home and look for cracks and crevices,” says Fadness.

If you have bats in your home, there are ways to keep them out.

“The best way to keep bats out of your home is to open the back and front doors and shut off all other airflow in your home. In fact, bats are more afraid of you than they are of you.” Believe it or not,” Hanson said of trying to rid the house of bats. “Your best bet is to have a professional or inspect your entire home and make the necessary seals to prevent them.”

Experts advise anyone attempting to catch bats in their home to wear adequate protective gear to reduce the risk of being bitten.

“You’ll want to wear a jacket of some kind. Wear a thick jacket and thick leather gloves so that the bats don’t bite or bite you, contact your skin, or break your skin. said Hanson.

If you catch a bat, the health department will ask you to bring it in for testing.

“Let them know that you are bringing the bats in, and then we can send them out to be tested for rabies,” Fadones said.

Experts want to remind everyone that killing bats is illegal because they are a protected species.

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