CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — A coastal Georgia school had to close for a couple of days as pest control crews work to remove bats from the building.
Action News Jax reports that a bat infestation temporarily relocated students at St. Marys Elementary School to College of Coastal Georgia.
“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We will not reopen the building until it has been fully inspected and deemed safe,” officials said in a statement.
The district plans for students to return to campus on Tuesday after the MLK holiday, once the building has been properly cleared.
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Astin Hunt, with Hunt Wildlife Services, has 15 years of experience in wildlife and pest control. He explained that since schools are large buildings, bat colonies can reach hundreds of thousands in number.
“The larger the building, the larger the potential for more places for them to get in,” Hunt told Action News Jax.
“It may just be that they’re chasing them like cat and mouse... getting them out of one area, and the population finds a new spot to set up, like another side of the attic,” Hunt said.
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Even after the bats are removed, Hunt cautioned that the health risks may not end. Bat waste, which is produced at high volumes due to their fast metabolism, can turn into dust and travel through HVAC systems.
“If I were a parent,” Hunt added, “I’d want to know if a licensed biologist has confirmed the problem is solved, and what steps have been taken to remove contamination so secondary health risks aren’t an issue for years to come.”
Despite the concerns, parents told Action News Jax that they feel confident their children will be safe when they return.
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