There is a brown bat hibernating in my upstairs (which I only use for storage). I noticed it when putting away Christmas things. How should I remove it? If I grab it with a towel in order to take it outside will it wake up when I grab it? I don't want to leave it up there all winter. I don't know that it would be able to find its way out once the hibernation period is over. Thank you for your help.

Do not try to grab the bat. It will wake up and may try to bite. It is safer to hire an experienced nuisance wildlife control operator (you can find a list of those with bat experience on the Find a Professional page of this website) to remove the bat for you. Some species of bats hibernate in attics or under the siding of houses because there are not enough natural areas left for them to hibernate over the winter. Once spring comes and a supply of insects is available, the bats leave the buildings on their own. If you have more questions you can e-mail me anytime.