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Why do bats fly around my house?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 08, 2026

If you see bats around your home or in it, there are only a couple of reasons for their presence. As with any other wild animal or household pest, they choose to cohabitate with humans for three reasons: Harborage, food, and water.

Should I worry about bats flying around my house?

As long as bats aren't flying into your house, there is no reason to be concerned. Additionally, you don't need to worry about bats flying into you. Bat echolocation is powerful - and contrary to popular belief, bats can also see fairly well - so they won't fly into your hair or face.

Is it good to have bats around your house?

As mentioned before, bats are a great source of natural pest control to help control mosquito and other insect populations on your property. There is a lot of fear surrounding bats and their bites.

How do I keep bats away from my house?

Bats don't like the smell of mothballs, white phenol, cinnamon, or eucalyptus. Install bright lights to help deter them. Bats also don't like objects that reflect light, so you can hang strips of aluminum foil, mirrors, mylar balloons, or even old CDs.

What are bats attracted to?

Bats are attracted to an area if it meets their need for food, water, and shelter. The presence of a fairly large source of fresh water, especially a stream, river, or lake, is one of the key indicators of good bat habitat. These areas provide not only fresh water, but also an excellent supply of insects.

44 related questions found

Are you allowed to remove bats?

It is illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take any bat or to recklessly damage, destroy or block up their roosts or disturb them. Because bats tend to return to the same roosts each year, these sites are protected whether the bats are present or not.

What attracts bats to your yard?

Fragrant flowers, herbs, and night-blooming plants attract nocturnal insects, which, in turn, lure bats. The more insects, the better. Try planting dahlia, French marigold, nicotiana, evening primrose, thyme, raspberry, or honeysuckle. Pale-colored blooms also have a good chance of bringing in bugs.

Is it normal to have bats in your backyard?

Bats have a reputation as something to be feared and reviled, but the truth is bats are good and having these winged creatures flying above your yard is beneficial in so many ways. They are an important part of the ecosystem and a gardener's ally.

What does a bat flying around you mean?

If you encounter a bat, it is a sign or an omen of letting something die. The bat is trying to tell you that that part of your life is done and you should allow its rebirth and not obstruct it –it is one of the important symbols of rebirth.

Is seeing a bat good luck?

BATS. These creatures may creep out some, but the Chinese culture welcomes the winged mammals — the Chinese word for bat even means "good luck." Bats are often seen as a sign of a long and healthy life. Some in China will wear amulets featuring bats to encourage good fortune to come into their lives.

Do bats fly into windows at night?

If a window or door without a screen is left open, occasionally a bat can fly in after dark. If a bat is outside resting on the exterior of the house and is startled, it could fly through an opening.

Will bats fly into you at night?

Bats do not usually come into contact with people since they are active at night. If you do see a bat during the day, and it's acting strangely – struggling to fly or lying on the ground – the bat could potentially be infected with rabies. Leave that bat alone! Where am I most likely to find a bat?

Are bats bad luck?

MYTH: Bats in your house are bad luck.

Vampires exist only in books and movies, and bats can't cause bad luck. That doesn't mean you want one in your house; it could spread certain diseases. Bats in your yard, however, are great—a little brown bat can eat up to a thousand mosquito-size insects in an hour.

What does the presence of bats mean?

Bat symbolism and meanings include community, longevity, maneuverability, balance, good fortune, evolution, and supernatural powers. Around the world, there are over 1,400 species of bats, and they live everywhere except in the most extreme deserts and polar regions.

What is the spiritual meaning of seeing a bat?

Note that while Bat can symbolize death, as a Spirit Animal, it does not have to be a literal death. Instead, something may end – a job, a living space, a relationship, or even outmoded thoughts about yourself and your role in the greater scheme of things.

Why are there so many bats in my yard?

If bats congregate outside your home, it's very likely because you are providing them with an attractive dinner buffet or roosting area. Eliminating food and shelter causes bats to leave the vicinity to look for a more encouraging environment.

Is it good to have bats in garden?

In addition to moths, bats eat other insects, such as mosquitoes, midges and other flies, mayflies, some beetles, caddis flies, lacewings and other nocturnal insects.

Where do bats nest?

In general, bats seek out a variety of daytime retreats such as caves, rock crevices, old buildings, bridges, mines, and trees. Different species require different roost sites. Some species, such as the Mexican free-tailed and gray bats live in large colonies in caves.

What do bats like?

Most bats eat insects and are called insectivores. These bats like to eat beetles, moths, mosquitoes, and more.

Are bats attracted to light?

Bats don't like light. Although they don't rely too much on their poor sight, they can see, and they prefer dark areas. This is why bats are notorious for roosting in caves. Because you lose a little light with each bend in a cave, you'll often find them roosting deep within, but that's only the case in nature.

What do you do if you see a bat?

A BAT FOUND FOUND INDOORS

  1. Wait until the animal is motionless. ...
  2. Contain the bat. ...
  3. Release the bat outdoors at nightfall. ...
  4. Watch it leave. ...
  5. Call a local wildlife rehabilitator for assistance. ...
  6. Make sure the bat is safe from predators. ...
  7. Do not use your hands to help the bat.

Does one bat in the house mean more?

One random bat in the house doesn't always mean anything. Most of the people that call us have had at least two or three instances of bats in the house over the last few years though. Multiple bats in your house is a very strong indication of an infestation. Most bat colonies found in houses are maternal colonies.

What time of year are bats protected?

In most states, regulators allow bat-proofing and bat removal beginning sometime from early August to late August and continuing until females start caring for young again in early spring, March to May.

What happens when a bat touches you?

If you touch the bat (or think you or your pet or child could have touched the bat), call Public Health immediately at 206-296-4774. Anyone who touched or had contact with the bat or its saliva could be at risk of getting rabies, which is almost always fatal once symptoms begin.

Do bats fly in the daytime?

Bats are nocturnal, and typically do not fly during daylight hours if they are healthy.