Does anyone know how I can get this bat the hell out my living room??

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So we've had this bat flying around our living room for over two days. We have tried openeing all the windows and patio door but for some reason it just can't quite manage to get through the openings. It always aims for just above. We have tried catching the damn thing in a butterfly net, but it evades us everytime. It's pretty damn good at that echo location thing because it seems to sense our every movement and is always one step (one wing flap) ahead. The cat is useless and has given up. My daughter has shown me close up pictures of a bat's face and they have lots of sharp teeth and I don't like it. Does anyone have any advice? We've tried chasing it out but it just won't leave. There is bat poo all around and I'm at the end of my tether.

I wouldn't worry about the teeth unless you're handling it which you really shouldn't be as it's illegal to do so. They're only interested in biting insects not you. That said it could bite in fear if picked up but it will have absolutely no interest in attacking you. Contact the National bat helpline .

www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-helpline/helpline-open-hours

0345 1300 2288*

There is a national bat helpline - 0345 1300 228. They have trained volunteers who can help provide advice, and potentially provide someone to come and help remove the bat.

Try a local wildlife trust/organisation/charity?
Bats are all protected species in the UK so go for an expert bat-wrangler!

Don't worry about the teeth, they are for eating insects not humans.

Don't try to catch it. Handling bats is illegal.

Call www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-helpline/helpline-open-hours

We've had bats in the house several times and usually just opening the patio doors at night does the trick so I'm not sure what else to advise. I'd probably call your nearest wildlife rescue as it must be getting hungry and thirsty by now if it's been indoors this long, so maybe that's affecting its ability to get out? It should be getting ready to hibernate quite soon I'd think which may also be affecting its behaviour. I don't think any of our native bat species are dangerous but ot sounds like you might need some expert help to catch it.

Don’t take any tips from this family who had a bat in their kitchen.

Poor thing. We had a bat once that we caught fairly easily with a shoebox while it was hanging on the wall. Then we slid a bit of card in like we were catching a spider under a glass, and took it outside.

Sounds like we got lucky to catch it so easily though.

Thanks for that. That's cheered me up no end. That was me last night. Our bat doesn't seem to fly low at all though. Just right up at the ceiling. Trust us to have an awkward one...

Thank It's good to know they're possible to catch. Our one tends to hang off the ceiling though and I haven't seen it hang on the wall. I tried sneaking up on it when it was hanging on the ceiling but it sensed me coming and I'm not tall enough to reach it without using a chair. The moment I put the chair there - it was off.

Can you open a window at night and turn a light on to attract insects? Maybe it will figure out where to go once it notices food?

Oh they're a bugger this time of year, we've had three already and the dogs go absolutely ballistic every time.

National Bat helpline as pp have said, they're very helpful. Thankfully DD is very good at catching them in a towel and getting them back outside safely, she's like the goth version of a Disney princess.

That's not a bad idea, although I'd worry about burglars getting in. Better a bat than a burgler. I might try it though as I'm getting desperate. Our house has a few spiders in at the moment though so I reckon it's not short of food. It does seem to want to get out though.

Daughter and towel - that could work although the Bat Dad in the video didn't have much luck. I just wish it would fly a little lower from time to time. Will try towel tonight and failing that, I'll call the bat help line.

Honestly I just open the windows, close the doors, and make sure all light is off inc tv. Very odd it’s not finding its way out.

so I’d advice calling the bat society helpline , they will send someone out.

Also when you open windows , and switch everything off, leave the room. And shut the door behind you.

We all know this is the correct procedure:

Will try towel tonight and failing that, I'll call the bat help line.

No. Call the helpline now.

It is illegal for you to handle the bat. It is dangerous for both you and the bat. And the helpline may not be able.to send someone on the day you call - so the longer you wait before calling, the longer you're stuck with the bat.

You need to ask Derry to help

OK I'll do that. You're right. We could accidently hurt it with a towel. The video of the Irish man giving it a go did make me laugh though.

The helpline won't send someone at all, they don't do that as they don't have the resources, they just advise you on how best to help the bat.

"Although bats are protected by law, you're allowed to handle a bat in trouble in order to assist it. There is a small risk of rabies transmission from bat bites and scratches in the UK, but you can protect yourself by using our special containment procedure and wearing gloves."

Catching it with a towel is quite literally what they advise you to do.

What we do is get a large bed sheet , open a window and two of us walk the sheet , spread out, down the room and use the sheet to herd the bat out of the window . If it's on the ceiling we have a special very large plant pot we put over it, slide card under and use that. We have had a selection of different sizes of bat when we had cats and presume they brought them in L

We tried the thing with the bed sheet last night and it kept managing to find gaps at the top which it flew through to evade us. The trouble is our ceiling is quite high. The large plant pot is a good idea. I just need to be quick.

I'm glad you said that because I just tried calling them and they said (in a recorded message) to try the website first because they don't have the resouces to help out individual cases. On the website it suggested trying to contain it. The problem is we just haven't been able to. I will try some of the suggestions tonight when I get home.

Broomstick to hold sheet to ceiling .

That video was hysterical. I'd be the one safely watching through the glass door rather than the catcher...