About 1,500 bats, apparently seeking shelter from a cold snap, descended on Layton High School about a week ago.
Students and staff noticed several zipping around hallways. Soon, school officials figured out that most of the winged mammals had made their new home in the auditorium, where they had snuck in through some open air dampers, Davis School District spokesman Chris Williams said Wednesday.
“They found Layton High School pretty hospitable when it comes to the auditorium,” he said.
Classes have continued as usual, though on Wednesday a student was being checked at a hospital for rabies after picking up a dead bat, Williams said. The results of the test were not known Wednesday evening. County animal control officials also were trying to locate the dead bat to test it for rabies.
The district has hired a company, Animal Removal and Prevention, to remove and release the creatures. It’s been a slow process, Williams said. The company removed about 400 both Monday and Tuesday evenings and were back at it Wednesday night.
He said the company employs sticky pads connected to poles to snag many of the bats; they are then taken outside and sprayed with olive oil, allowing the bats to escape.
The auditorium has been closed since the bat outbreak began. Williams said officials aren’t yet sure when it might be fully cleaned up and ready to reopen.
Bats also invaded West High School in Salt Lake City earlier this month. It momentarily closed Sept. 20 so custodial staff could catch and clean up after the creatures. But in that case, officials estimated there were only about 300 bats that needed to be removed.
Health officials in that case also were wary of rabies spreading to students. The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system, causing brain damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.