If you do it now, they'll probably relocate somewhere away from humans for the winter, Robl said. Their heart rate can drop to two beats a minute, and their breathing drops to about 10 times an hour or lower, Robl said. To warm bats and force them out in the winter uses up their valuable stored body fat and decreases their chances of survival. Robl said he knows one wildlife specialist who keeps winter-removed bats cold in his garage until spring. If a bat gets in the living area, Robl recommends opening all the doors and windows possible.
Some people go berserk.
They think the bats are diving at them. Once the bat tires, it may cling to a curtain or hide in the folds. Then it can be covered with a margarine container, and a cardboard cover can be slipped along the drape. The bat should be released next to a tree or something it can climb to gain altitude in order to fly away, Robl said. Many people are afraid of bats because of the the myth that they carry rabies without exhibiting symptoms, according to a Department of Natural Resources guide to bats in Iowa.