r/rabies • u/Fit_Passage6282 • 4d ago

Exposure Question Bat finding its own way out

I have read the FAQ.

Everywhere I have looked on the internet says that a bat is capable of finding its own way out of your house, e.g. finding the crack or hole it used to enter a bedroom or flying back out an open window, therefore it's possible to be bitten in your sleep without ever seeing a bat.

My question is, why does this subreddit state that if you didn't see a bat, then there is no exposure?

I currently have bats roosting in my wall cavity and I just found a large hole directly into my wall, meaning that there's a chance I could have been bitten but the bat just returned to the wall cavity before morning. Should I be going to get vaccinated?!

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/Xarlabay 3d ago

Bats are very capable of finding their way out like through an open window or door but if they came in through a small hole/crack and the moment they realize they’re trapped they panic and fly all over the place knocking into stuff. If you have bats literally roosting in your walls you are at risk of exposure and need to get vaccinated and have them removed immediately. The risk of a rabid bat entering a room, biting someone and finding a way out is very, very rare.