Great Falls · Cascade County
Bat removal in Great Falls, Montana
Bat exclusion for the Electric City's older housing stock.
Bats and Great Falls homes
Great Falls, on the Missouri River, has the oldest housing stock of the six cities we serve: the median home was built around 1965, and roughly 72% of homes predate 1980. Older brick and wood-frame homes offer bats aging mortar joints, attic vents, chimney chases, and settled eaves.
Local bats & habitat
Montana has 15 confirmed bat species. The two most tied to buildings are the little brown myotis — the most common bat in the state — and the big brown bat, which readily uses attics, walls, and other man-made structures. Both are found across Montana. The Missouri River and its tributaries, including the Sun River, give bats insect-rich foraging right through town.
Great Falls animal control & health contacts
Public agencies — not us. Call them for an animal emergency, a possible exposure, or rabies testing.
Great Falls Police Department — Animal Control
Animal control inside Great Falls city limits, including capturing a bat in a home for testing
Animal Control Officers work Monday–Friday, 9–5; an officer is on call after hours through dispatch. Great Falls Animal Shelter: (406) 454-2276.
Source ↗Cascade City-County Health Department
Rabies prevention and bat testing when a person may have been exposed
Rabies Prevention Line. Environmental Health: (406) 454-6950.
Source ↗How Cascade County handles bats found indoors
Cascade City-County Health Department says that inside Great Falls city limits, residents with a bat in the home should call Animal Control to capture it and bring it to the health department for testing; outside city limits, residents capture the bat and bring it in themselves. The department generally tests bats only when there has been a possible human exposure. A rabid bat was found in Cascade County in 2020.
Cascade County — Rabies Prevention ↗Great Falls housing stock
About 42% of Great Falls homes were built before 1960. On homes this age we focus on chimneys and flashing, gable and attic vents, brick-to-wood transitions, and fascia boards that have pulled away over time.
- Housing units
- about 28,400
- Median year built
- 1965
- Built before 1980
- about 72%
- Built before 1960
- about 42%
Built before 1940: about 17%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates (see sources).
When bats can be excluded in Great Falls
The same statewide FWP timing applies here. See how our exclusion process works or the Montana bat guide.
Apr–Aug
Maternity season — no exclusion
FWP: never exclude bats May through August, when flightless young may be inside. FWP's exclusion guidance treats April 1–August 31 as the default maternity period.
Sep–Oct
Best exclusion window
By September the young can fly. Fall, before bats settle in to hibernate, is FWP's preferred time to exclude.
Nov–Mar
Hibernation — inspect & plan
Many bats winter in caves and mines, but big brown bats sometimes hibernate in buildings. Don't exclude bats hibernating in a structure.
Great Falls bat removal FAQs
What do I do with a bat inside my Great Falls home?
Inside city limits, call Great Falls Police Department Animal Control at (406) 455-8492 (on call after hours through dispatch) to capture the bat and bring it to the Cascade City-County Health Department for testing. Outside the city, the health department asks residents to capture the bat and bring it in.
Will the health department test any bat I find?
Cascade City-County Health Department generally tests bats only when there has been a possible human exposure. Call their Rabies Prevention Line at (406) 868-4392 to find out whether your situation qualifies.
Have rabid bats been found in Cascade County?
Yes. The county's rabies page notes a rabid bat was found in Cascade County in 2020.
Why do older Great Falls homes get bats?
About 42% of Great Falls homes were built before 1960. Aging mortar, chimney flashing, attic vents, and loose fascia create the narrow gaps — about 3/8 inch — that bats can use.
When can bats be excluded in Great Falls?
FWP advises against excluding bats from May through August while young may be present. Late summer into fall, once young are flying and before hibernation, is the best window.
Nearby service areas
Sources
- Great Falls Police Department — Animal Control
- Cascade City-County Health Department
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates via Census Reporter — Great Falls, MT (tables B25034/B25035)
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — Living With Bats
- Montana Field Guide — Little Brown Myotis
- Montana Field Guide — Big Brown Bat
- MSU Extension — Bats in Homes
- Montana DPHHS — Rabies
Phone numbers and agency roles were checked against the linked pages in November 2026. Agencies change numbers — confirm on their site if a call doesn't connect.
Bats in your Great Falls home?
Humane bat removal and exclusion in Great Falls and Cascade County. Call or send a request and we'll set up an inspection.
Or email wildlifespecialistsgroup@gmail.com