Straight answers from a licensed New York exterminator and Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) — serving all five boroughs, in English and Spanish.
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NYC bat facts (source: NYC WildlifeNYC)
- Bats are found in all five boroughs.
- Nine bat species occur in New York State.
- Five species were recorded in the Bronx alone in a 2016 study by Fordham University and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
- Species seen in the city include the eastern red bat, hoary bat, little brown bat, big brown bat and tri-colored bat.
- Pups are born in June and early July and can usually fly within about a month.
Which bats live in New York City?
Most New Yorkers never notice them, but bats hunt over parks, waterfronts and streets on summer nights. Tree bats such as the eastern red bat and hoary bat roost in foliage and pass through during migration. The big brown bat and little brown bat are the species most likely to use buildings, roosting in attics, wall voids, soffits and gaps under siding or roof flashing.
Are bats dangerous? Rabies and histoplasmosis
Bats are not aggressive, but they can carry rabies, and a bat bite or scratch can be small enough to miss. NYC WildlifeNYC advises anyone who, or whose pet, comes in close contact with a bat to seek medical attention even if no bite or scratch seems to have happened, and to keep the bat contained if it can be done safely so it can be tested for rabies. Large accumulations of bat droppings in an attic can also carry the fungus that causes histoplasmosis, which is why cleanup of an old roost should be done with proper protection.
What to do if a bat gets into your apartment
- Keep people and pets away from it, and close interior doors so it stays in one room.
- If no one had contact with it, open a window to the outside, turn off the lights in that room and let it leave on its own.
- If anyone may have touched it, been bitten or woken up with it in the room, do not release it. Call your doctor or 311 for guidance on getting it tested for rabies.
- Do not handle a bat with bare hands.
When can bats be excluded from a building?
Exclusion means letting bats leave through a one-way device and then sealing the openings so they cannot return. Timing matters: if it is done while flightless pups are inside, they are trapped and die in the walls. Because pups are born in June and early July and fly within about a month, exclusion in New York is usually scheduled after the pups can fly, in late summer or early fall, before bats leave for winter.
Who is licensed to remove bats in New York?
In New York State, removing bats and other wildlife from a building is done by nuisance wildlife control operators licensed by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). New York Exterminating does not hold that license and does not remove bats. If you have bats in your building, contact a DEC-licensed nuisance wildlife control operator. Once the bats are out, the insect side is where we come in.
Bat bugs vs bed bugs
Bat bugs (Cimex adjunctus) are close relatives of bed bugs that feed on bats. They look almost identical to bed bugs; under magnification they are told apart by the longer fringe hairs on the thorax. When bats leave or are excluded, bat bugs left behind in the roost can wander into living spaces and bite people. Treating them, and confirming whether a bug is a bat bug or a bed bug, is insect work New York Exterminating does, led by an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE), across all five boroughs plus Nassau and Westchester, in English and Spanish. See our bed bug treatment and our guide to bed bugs, or, if you are being bitten and cannot find the source, read about mystery bites in NYC.
Not sure what you found? Send a photo or call (347) 210-4646 for identification.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For pests in your home or building, NYE provides IPM-based, low-exposure control matched to the exact pest and verified with a follow-up. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
Bats in NYC FAQ
Are there bats in NYC?
Yes. Bats are found in all five boroughs, and nine bat species occur in New York State. Five species were recorded in the Bronx alone in a 2016 Fordham University and Wildlife Conservation Society study.
Do bats in NYC carry rabies?
Bats can carry and transmit rabies. If you or a pet had close contact with a bat, seek medical attention even if you do not think a bite or scratch happened, and keep the bat contained for testing if it is safe to do so.
What should I do if a bat is flying in my apartment?
Close it into one room and keep people and pets out. If no one had contact with it, open a window and turn off the lights so it can leave. If anyone may have had contact, do not release it; call your doctor or 311 about rabies testing.
When are bat pups born in New York?
Bat pups are born in June and early July and can usually fly within about a month. Exclusion is scheduled after they can fly so none are trapped inside.
Can an exterminator remove bats?
Not unless they hold a DEC nuisance wildlife control license. New York Exterminating does not remove bats; a DEC-licensed nuisance wildlife control operator handles removal and exclusion.
What are bat bugs?
Bat bugs are close relatives of bed bugs that feed on bats. After bats leave a building they can bite people. New York Exterminating identifies and treats bat bugs once the bats are gone.
Reviewed by Jorge Bedoya, Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE), New York Exterminating.
