Bat in Your House? Here Is Why Grabbing a Broom Could Land You in Legal Trouble

I am almost seven decades old, and frankly, I never knew there was such a thing as bat eviction season in Massachusetts. There is, and if you attempt to evict bats from your property when it's not bat eviction season, you could wind up in trouble.

What Are the Official Massachusetts Bat Eviction Dates?

MassLive's Liesel Nygard wrote, "Under state law, attempts to evict a bat colony can only take place during the month of May or from August 1 to mid-October, according to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife)."

"Homeowners dealing with unwanted winged guests must follow strict legal procedures to remove them safely," she wrote.

I followed Nygard's link to MassWildlife to see for myself.

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The MassWildlife webpage has the "Massachusetts Homeowners Guide to Bats" that includes "information and advice on how to evict and relocate bats, plus tips on handling a bat, designs for one-way doors, and bat house plans."

The guide also features a "key to identifying the nine bat species in Massachusetts."

Massachusetts Bat Eviction Season Is Almost Here

MassWildlife emphasizes that "Massachusetts requires non-lethal approaches" to ridding your home of bats. That means swatting at it with a broom, rake or baseball bat is strongly discouraged.

Why Does Massachusetts Regulate Bat Removal?

Nygard explained that the specific bat eviction season is intended to protect pregnant bats and young ones that have not yet learned to fly.

What to Do If You Find a Bat Inside Your Home

The MassWildlife website explains what to do if you find bats in your home, usually the attic, and how to get rid of them without causing them harm. The site also provides instructions for what to do if a person has had direct contact with a bat or if a bat has been discovered in a room with a sleeping person.

Anyone who has come in contact with a bat colony is asked to report it by completing a MassWildlife survey.