Bat in the bedroom...........

[Andrew Gabriel]

I've had similar experience - they occasionally fly in open windows in the summer. First time, I was watching American Warewolf in London, during which it had got dark outside. When the film finished, turned on the light to find a bat hanging on the hessian wallpaper (this was

30 years ago;-).

A couple of times they have come into the bedroom. That has smooth walls and nothing high up to grip. So although it looks like they're dive-bombing you in bed, they're actually just flying in loops across the room trying to find something high to grip. Eventually, they run out of energy and just crash onto the floor, at which point they can be retrieved and returned to the outdoors. I picked them up with a beer mug and card, like for a really large spider.

[Martin Brown]

Probably a pipestrelle. Theoretically you should call out the bat conservation volunteers who will catch it in a butterfly net in flight and are licensed to handle them and immunised against rabies. Otherwise just open the window and go back to sleep. Adults are pretty good at finding their own way out. The youngsters in August can get through the tiniest cracks and get into all sorts of stupid places.

You get a lot of thermal PIR false alarms from them in season.

Probably lurking behind a curtain although I have known them get stuck inside vases, cardboard boxes and once in the kitchen sink. They tend to move towards light and young inexperienced ones can get stuck on the ground because painted skirting board, stainless steel sinks and baths sides are too smooth for them to climb.

Too late to be any help this time, but you can pick one up fairly easily in the daytime if it is cold and in torpor. You might want to wear a leather gardening glove if nervous as theoretically they are a slight rabies risk (although pipestrelles can barely scratch the skin).

More of a problem is that by carrying one bare handed the heat from your hand brings them quickly back to life and they tickle like hell as they wriggle about. I take lost ones back to their roost in my loft.

Any larger bats can definitely give you a nip and are best dealt with by bat conservation volunteers who have been immunised against rabies.

Again I should caution that you are not supposed to interfere with them.

However, if it s a choice between leaving one to die miserably trying to climb up your skirting board or stuck inside a vase or setting it free I don't think you would be prosecuted. Bat conservation will usually come out the same night if you have one in the house. (but they get fed up after a while and teach you how to DIY)

Has some useful generic info and contact numbers for national bat helpline run by the Bat Conservation Trust.