{"id":491965,"date":"2026-10-10T22:14:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T22:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/491965\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T22:14:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T22:14:16","slug":"halloween-fake-spider-webs-can-trap-and-kill-bats-experts-warn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/491965\/","title":{"rendered":"Halloween fake spider webs can trap and kill bats, experts warn"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think all Halloween decorations<\/a> are the same? Think again.<\/p>\n

Those creepy fake spider webs draped across your front porch could turn Halloween into a real-life horror show<\/a> \u2014 trapping bats and other wildlife in sticky strands that can leave the creatures dead.<\/p>\n

A Northern California bat expert is warning Halloween enthusiasts to ditch the artificial webbing<\/a>, which can ensnare the winged mammals and leave them struggling to escape.<\/p>\n

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One specific kind of decor on the front of your house during the spooky season could result in you coming face to face with a bat, trapping them or even worse killing the wild animal. SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Corky Quirk, who runs bat rehabilitation organization NorCal Bats, said her group has already received two calls this year from homeowners who discovered bats tangled in their spooky decorations.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe had the spider webbing in her mouth, wrapped around her wings. It was a mess,\u201d Quirk told CBS News Sacramento<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Corky Quirk, a bat expert with NorCal Bats, speaks about the dangers of artificial spider web decorations becoming a hazard for bats during Halloween. NORCAL BATS<\/p>\n

One of the bats her group recovered actually died while the other is being rehabilitated.<\/p>\n

Quirk said bats, who typically use echolocation to get around, do not always use it when hunting for insects and this is when the sticky material becomes a deadly trap.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might think, \u2018It\u2019s a bat, it can echolocate,\u2019 but bats don\u2019t always use echolocation. Sometimes they\u2019re just going from point A to point B,\u201d Quirk said.<\/p>\n

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A Northern California expert cautions happy haunters to skip using those sticky artificial spider webs<\/a> in their decorations because bats can actually become stuck in them. dpa\/picture alliance via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause they\u2019re looking for a grasshopper on the ground so these guys will get caught.\u201d<\/p>\n

And bats aren\u2019t the only creatures at risk. Birds and dragonflies can also become ensnared in the artificial strands, wildlife experts warn.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnlike real spiderwebs, artificial webbing doesn\u2019t break easily, meaning bats and birds are easily tangled up in the strands where they risk starvation or weather exposure,\u201d according to a message on the Bat Conservation International website. In Pictures via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cUnlike real spiderwebs, artificial webbing doesn\u2019t break easily, meaning bats and birds are easily tangled up in the strands where they risk starvation or weather exposure,\u201d according to a message on the Bat Conservation International website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Health officials warn that if you do find a bat stuck in your Halloween decorations or anywhere do not touch them and contact wildlife agencies or organizations, as bats have been known to carry rabies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Health officials warn that if you do find a bat stuck in your Halloween decorations or anywhere do not touch them and contact wildlife agencies or organizations, as bats have been known to carry rabies. ullstein bild via Getty Images<\/p>\n

California has reported 320 rabid bat cases<\/a> statewide this year, according to the California Department of Public Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rabies is spread through the saliva of infected animals, most commonly through bites, though exposure can also occur if saliva enters the eyes, mouth or an open wound.<\/p>\n

Once symptoms appear \u2014 including fever, confusion, agitation and difficulty swallowing \u2014 rabies is almost always fatal. However, prompt medical care and post-exposure treatment can prevent the disease from developing.<\/p>\n

Anyone bitten by a wild animal should seek medical attention immediately and report the incident to public health officials.<\/p>\n

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