Two bats in Aurora were recently found to have rabies. And this time of year, as fall approaches, bats start migrating and looking for places to hibernate.

Those are two good reasons Kane County Animal Control and the Kane County Health Department are reminding residents that now is a good time to check for bats around the houses — and understand that there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about getting rid of them.

In Illinois, rabies is found in bats more than any other wildlife species. The good news is that typically less than 5 percent of bats tested for rabies are found to be rabid. That means that rabies, even in bats, is extremely rare.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the best way to prevent and control bats in a structure is a process called “exclusion,” which is a fancy way of saying keeping them them out of the house is the best way to not have to deal with them inside the house. This time of year, you should seal the cracks and crevices in your home that might allow access.

The Kane County Health Department and Animal Control are endorsing the exclusion practice, providing a list of area wildlife specialists who can help get your home “bat-proofed” and offering advice on what to do if a bat does get in your home.

Here’s what the Health Department recommends:

If you find a bat in your home, don’t touch it, and if possible confine it in one room. Once confined, you should call Kane County Animal Control at 630-232-3555 for removal and possible testing. If you have bats outside your home, consult a wildlife specialist for removal options.

There is no exposure to rabies unless you are bitten by the bat or if you assume exposure because you have woken up to find the bat in a bedroom. Exposure to rabies requires a series of vaccinations that can be painful and costly. Following the exclusion procedures outlined here are the best ways to protect yourself and your family.

As mentioned above, bats tend to enter houses more often this time of year. Some bats, especially those in northern Illinois, leave their roosting places in September and early October to migrate south where they will overwinter in caves, rocky ledges and cliffs, and occasionally accessible walls and attics, where others hibernate throughout the winter season in Illinois.

Therefore, bat entry points in structures are best sealed during the months of September through April. As bats are protected under the Illinois Wildlife Code, a list of wildlife control specialists, who may be familiar with bat exclusion procedures, can be obtained from the Animal Control website at www.kanecountypets.com and the University of Illinois Extension’s website Living with Wildlife.

Always remember to have your pets vaccinated for rabies, as this creates another layer of protection, not only for them but for you, too.

SOURCE: Kane County Health Department

Nuisance Removal Wildlife Services

SOURCE: Kane County Animal Control website

Below is a list of Wildlife Nuisance Removal Services who offer their services to Kane County residents. Though we are providing this list, we are are not in the position of offering references. K.C.A.C. receives a list each year from the Department of Natural Resources with the names of Wildlife Removal Services who have renewed their trapping licenses.