Students at a Central Texas elementary school received an unexpected wildlife lesson this week when bats were spotted around their campus.
These small winged creatures can carry and spread a whole host of diseases, and when a school finds bats, the problem needs to be managed quickly.
That’s exactly what Manor Independent School District is doing with the help of Pest Management, Inc., as featured in this recent news story.
When bats were spotted at Oak Meadows Elementary in Austin this week, the team of experts at Pest Management, Inc. was called in to handle the situation.
“There’s a slight gap between the roof and the metal siding,” said Sarah McElwee, Director of Business Development for Pest Management, Inc., pointing out the small hole her team discovered has given bats access to the school.
This year’s unseasonably warm temperatures are causing bats to migrate back to Texas earlier than usual from their winter roosts in Mexico. And as seen at Oak Meadows, it doesn’t take much of an opening for the animals to find a way into unsuspecting buildings and make themselves at home.
The Pest Management, Inc. team will start bat exclusion efforts immediately, and bat netting will be installed at the school to keep the flying critters out and away from the young students.
All bat control work needs to be completed before April, explained McElwee – once the female bats have their pups in late spring, no more exclusion work can be done.
Efforts to control the bats also need to be handled quickly to protect the safety of students and staff at Oak Meadows Elementary from the viruses bats can carry, including rabies and Henipavirus.
Pest Management, Inc. is confident that their swift bat exclusion methods will keep the animals out of the school and away from the students. The team is prepared to help other schools, businesses and homes that may spot signs of unwanted guests during this year’s early bat migration.