Bats in Michigan: Species, Protection and Exclusion Timing

What are the Michigan bat rules at a glance?

Are bats protected in Michigan?

Some are protected by federal law, and state law can add more. USFWS lists the Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat as endangered under the Endangered Species Act; the northern long-eared bat was reclassified as endangered in a 2022 final rule. Federal regulations make it unlawful to take endangered wildlife, and take includes harassing, harming, trapping, capturing and killing. USFWS warns that many bats are federally protected and that mishandling or killing them can bring penalties. State and local law sit on top of that: USFWS notes that local laws may protect bats that occupy buildings, and federal rules do not override stricter state law. For Michigan’s rules on bats, see the DNR’s bats page.

USFWS is assessing two more species found in Michigan: it announced a proposal to list the tricolored bat as endangered on September 13, 2022, and it is reviewing the status of the little brown bat.

The National Park Service, which monitors bats in its Great Lakes parks including Sleeping Bear Dunes, counts nine bat species in the region. Four roost in trees and migrate; five roost in cavities and hibernate. NPS adds that all nine are listed by one or more states as endangered, threatened or of special concern. At Sleeping Bear Dunes, some species are there only in summer and winter in the southwestern U.S., Mexico or Central America, while the others stay and hibernate in caves or buildings.

Federal pages tie the little brown bat closely to buildings: USFWS says it often uses human-made structures for resting and maternity sites, and NPS surveys found little brown bat colonies in park buildings at Sleeping Bear Dunes. The endangered species mostly roost elsewhere: Indiana bats typically spend summer behind loose bark on large trees and hibernate in caves and mines, and USFWS says northern long-eared bats roost in structures such as barns and sheds only less commonly.

White-nose syndrome is a fatal disease of hibernating bats caused by a fungus, according to NPS. A study announced by USGS found it killed over 90% of northern long-eared, little brown and tricolored bat populations in fewer than 10 years. At Sleeping Bear Dunes, NPS lists those three as highly susceptible, while the big brown bat, also a hibernating species, has shown resistance.

When can bats be excluded from a Michigan house?

Not during the summer maternity season. USFWS says exclusions should never occur in the maternity season, typically May 15 to August 15. Other federal pages draw the window a little wider: the National Park Service gives April to August, and the CDC warns against trapping young bats when bat-proofing between May and August. Large summer colonies are almost always pregnant and nursing females that return year after year (USFWS), and the young cannot fly at first; little brown bat pups fly at about four weeks. Evicting the adults then can leave the young to starve, the Park Service warns.

The windows that work are before the bats arrive and after they leave their summer roosts in late summer (NPS). The CDC calls fall and winter the best times to bat-proof a home, because most bats leave then. Some bats stay through the winter, though, and USFWS says hibernating bats found in winter should stay put until spring, because a surprise eviction can kill them. Entry points are closed only when no bats are inside (USDA Forest Service), and the CDC says bats fit through openings as small as 1/4 inch. While a colony waits out the season, USFWS advises sealing any openings between the roost and the living space.

Who is allowed to remove bats from a house in Michigan?

The northern long-eared bat’s endangered listing does not stop people from getting bats out of a house. In listing the northern long-eared bat as endangered, USFWS wrote that the listing will not prevent people from removing bats from homes and other structures, though more coordination with the Service may be needed. The same rule names unauthorized exclusion from a building used as a roost, where it results in take, as a possible violation, and USFWS encourages removal done safely and humanely by a trained professional such as a wildlife or pest exclusion company. The species matters, and USGS notes that identifying it is important in case it is federally protected.

State rules are a separate question. Before paid work starts, ask the operator which state permits cover bat work in a building. For Michigan’s rules, see the DNR’s wildlife damage and nuisance control permits page.

What does Michigan say about bats and rabies?

In Michigan, MDHHS reports, bats are the animal most often found with rabies. Its 2025 map counts 42 rabid bats in Michigan, and its 2026 map counts 59 rabid bats and one rabid skunk as of October 29, 2026. Nationally, the CDC says bats are the most reported animals with rabies, though USGS puts the share of bats that contract it at less than one percent.

If you think you have been in contact with a bat, the CDC says to talk to your health department, and not to release a bat found in the home until you talk with a public health expert. Contact is not always obvious: the CDC says bat bites can be tiny enough to miss, and it advises anyone who wakes up with a bat in the room to assume they may have been exposed and see a healthcare provider right away. A bat in the house: what to do first sets out the decision step by step.

In some counties the health department decides whether a bat is tested: Kent County tests a bat only when its staff find a possible risk to a person, and Washtenaw County must approve any animal before it is tested. The Grand Rapids and Troy pages give the Kent and Oakland County contacts.

How can you tell bats are roosting in a Michigan house?

Watch the outside of the house at dusk. Most bats emerge at dusk to feed (USFWS), and the CDC says watching where they exit may show how they are getting in. They do not make their own holes; USFWS says they use openings already there. In the attic and around the eaves, the USDA Forest Service lists the signs: dark body-oil and urine stains on walls and near ceilings, droppings (guano), insect parts, and roosting, flying or dead bats. Bats also make clicks and chirps people can hear (USFWS). A summer colony can be large: USFWS says little brown bat maternity colonies are commonly in warm sites in buildings such as attics, and range from two to more than 100 bats.

For the state’s roost monitoring program, see the DNR’s bat roost monitoring release.

A bat found outside should not be handled or disturbed, especially one active in daylight that appears sick (USGS), and USFWS says never to touch a bat with bare hands. If anyone may have touched a bat, the CDC says to report the contact to a medical provider or the public health department.