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Expert: Don’t Let A Bat In The House Drive You Batty

October 25, 2022 Steve Schwaller

(Undated)– It’s getting to be that time of year when outdoor critters are looking for a warmer place to spend the winter. That includes bats. Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Stephanie Shepherd says bats often get a bad rap, but that shouldn’t really be the case…

“They provide a lot of services for humans and they’re really pretty harmless and I think they’re kind of adorable.”

She says bats are a bit picky when it comes to an environment they favor…

“They really want to be around a little below and a little above 50 degrees fahrenheit, so a lot of buildings actually may be a little too warm for them or too cold in the attic, but there probably are some buildings that are just at the right temperature that might have issues with bats in the winter time.”

Shepherd says if a bat does wind up in your house you should close off internal doors and open windows and or doors to the outside, turn off lights, and leave it alone. She says it should eventually leave on its own.