# How can I tell for sure whether or not I have bats in my belfry (non-metaphorical)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 28, 2025, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-for-sure-whether-or-not-i-have-bats-in-my-belfry-non-metaphorical/1025211 "2025-11-28T17:26:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 19
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-for-sure-whether-or-not-i-have-bats-in-my-belfry-non-metaphorical/1025211/19 "2025-11-30T01:29:26Z")
The CDC had this to say about who needs post-rabies prophylaxis based on types of exposure (and this was their recommendation BEFORE RFK the lesser took over): post-exposure prophylaxis should be administered in the following settings: •To all individuals who have had a bite, scratch, or mucous membrane exposure from a bat. •When direct contact with a bat occurred and the individual is unable to rule out a bite or scratch. •If an individual has been in a room with a bat and is unable to rule out any physical contact. Such individuals include a sleeping person who awakens to find a bat in the room, an unattended child, a mentally disabled person, and an intoxicated person. This approach is consistent with the recommendations of the ACIP for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis ●Post-exposure prophylaxis is **not** necessary if the person was aware of the bat at all times while in an enclosed or open space and is certain that there was no bite, scratch, or mucous membrane exposure. Household members who were not in a room with the bat do not require post-exposure prophylaxis. The state I live in (Wisconsin) has dozens to hundreds of such bat encounters as I just had every day. It’s very rare to give rabies vaccine in such cases, and far, far rarer for a case of rabies to appear in the state. The last four cases of human rabies in Wisconsin occurred in 1959, 2000, 2004, and 2010. And here are a few of my past experiences personally and professionally dealing with potential rabies situations: > [@A bat in the bedroom](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bat-in-the-bedroom/985454): > > Living where I do, I’ve been blessed/afflicted with bats on occasion for a good 6 decades. I love that they eat mosquitos, so I’ve provided them with bat houses, shoo’ed them away from places where they might get hurt by predators or fearful humans, and also had to deal with them when they’re in my house and just won’t leave. It was that last issue that kept the Mrs. and I up this past Sunday night. We’d been out in our hot tub, outside of our master bedroom, watching the stars and listening … > [@My patient with rabies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-patient-with-rabies/664196): > > Happened last Friday PM, I was paged by one of the minimum security prison centers in our system to talk to the RN. RN: Dr, we just got a patient back from the ER. There he was diagnosed with rabies. They want him started on treatment immediately! Me: Rabies??!!! My god, how did that happen? Rabies? RN: Yes, rabies. We are very surprised here too, we do not know how he got it. Me: Good lord, we’ll have to investigate this one. RN: Yes, but I need your approval for his treatment. … > [@Wowbagger the Mercotan, Hero Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wowbagger-the-mercotan-hero-cat/843902): > > It was a typical Friday night in stately Mercotan manor yesterday, with me sitting in the loo, on my throne and enjoying the bidet seat. At least, until I heard a shriek from a distant part of the house. Mrs. Mercotan was unhappy; reason unknown. Before I could even end the ablutions, much less re-attire myself into my hero vestments, she was pounding on the bathroom door and announcing at ear piercing pitch and decibel level: “There’s a bat in the kitchen!” Oh crap. I hate bats in the hou… --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-for-sure-whether-or-not-i-have-bats-in-my-belfry-non-metaphorical/1025211)._