A Utah high school has had to close its bat-infested auditorium, and so far about 800 of the animals have been removed from the facility.
The Associated Press reports that bat removal experts on Monday and Tuesday removed about 400 bats each night the auditorium of Layton High School in Layton, Utah.
Davis County School District spokesman Chris Williams says the bats were discovered a week ago, and that no students or staff members has had any contact with the bats.
Bats migrate south for the winter, Melanie Harpster of Animal Removal and Prevention, told KSL-TV, and they found a temporary home in the school.
Removing them is not easy. The process involves trapping the bats on sticky boards, then releasing them in another area. No bats are killed in the removal process.
"Find their entry and exit points," Harpster said. "Put in a bat valve, which is essentially a one-way door that lets them fly out but not get back in,"
Several events in the auditorium have been canceled.
School officials aren't sure when all the bats will be removed, but it’s estimated that more than 1,000 had made a temporary home in the school. Once the bats are gone, the building will need to be cleaned
Layton High is the second school in the area in the last two weeks grappling with bat. West High School in Salt Lake City canceled after school programs last week to remove more than 300 bats.
Video from KSL-TV:
