If you are certain that there has been no contact with the bat, here are the steps to follow to get it out of your home.

Step 1 : Isolate the bat. Close doors and the other parts of the house, possibly even putting a towel on the ground to prevent the bat from crawling under the closed doors if there is a gap.

Step 2: Open a door or window as close to the bat as possible. The bat is lost and wants to get out of your home where it can find food and water. It also wants to get away from all the scary humans. It will eventually (could take up to an hour sometimes) sense the fresh air movement and fly outside.

Step 3: Turn off anything that makes noise. Loud noises often confuse bats’ echolocation systems. Turning off anything that makes noise will go a long way in helping the bat to find its way out.

Step 4: Keep an eye on the bat. Many hours can be spend searching in the house/room for the bat if it goes into hiding. When it does fly out, it will be sudden – and quiet. It may circle the room from time to time before it discovers the open window.

Step 5. Removing the bat. If the bat does not seem to be exiting the room on its own or you are feeling impatient, you can attempt to capture the bat and release it outside. It is a good idea to wear gloves and long pants when attempting to capture the bat.  Here are a few methods.

• Throw a towel over the bat. Once the bat is under the towel, scoop it up, making sure to wrap the bat inside. Be sure not to crush it!
• Place an empty laundry basket or wastepaper basket over the bat. Then take a newspaper, magazine or other similar object and slide it between the wall/floor and the bat. Make sure not to pinch the bat.
• Use a small-meshed net to capture the bat. ( A large-meshed net may capture the bat as well but it may injure it as the bat will likely become entangled in the net and require you to use a more hands on approach.

Do Not: Swing at the bat with a tennis racket or a baseball bat.

Step 6: You will hear a clicking noise which means that the bat is scared and may actually attempt to bite. Once you have the bat inside the towel or a container, bring it outside, some distance from the house. Make sure that any doors or windows are now closed. Remove the towel or newspaper and turn the container on its side. The bat should be able to get out and fly away.Keep in mind that it is not easy for the bat to take off from the ground, so if possible, push the container or towel as close to a tree as possible.

Finally, please trying not to harm or kill the bat. The bat just got lost. It will not go after you. Bats are crucial for our environment and after the white nose syndrome a huge number of them has died off.