ALBANY COUNTY — The Albany County Department of Health has received multiple calls in recent months from residents concerned about potential exposure to rabies due to contact with bats, which is typical during the spring and summer months.

“Though only a small percentage of bats have rabies, unfortunately you cannot tell one has the disease simply by looking at it and, if contracted, it could be fatal,” said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy in a release from the county.

Residents are encouraged to capture any bats in their homes so they can be tested for rabies in a lab. If residents are unable to trap bats in their homes, they should be vaccinated at the Albany County Department of Health at 175 Green Street in Albany.

The county outlines these steps to safely capture a bat:

— Use caution;

— If indoors, close all windows and room and closet doors, turn on the lights and wait for the bat to land;

— While wearing heavy gloves, approach the bat slowly and carefully and cover the bat with a pail, coffee can, or similar container;

— Slide a piece of cardboard or lid under the container to trap the bat inside and tape the container shut.

Residents can bat proof their homes with polypropylene bird netting, fly screening, sheet metal, wood, or various caulking compounds to close or cover openings that allow entry for bats to roost. House bats can pass through crevices as thin as a pencil.

For more information, including tutorial videos on how to trap a bat, residents may visit the Albany County Department of Health website at www.albanycounty.com/health or call 518-447-4620.