Ga. DPH asks UGA students to fill out survey following bat infestation in dorm

ATHENS, Ga. — A public health notice is in place after bats infested a dorm on the University of Georgia’s campus.

The Georgia Department of Public Health says it needs to assess students’ exposure to rabies, and some may require vaccines.

GDPH issued a survey that asks students about their time spent in the dorm called Oglethorpe House.

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Students sent Channel 2 Action News photos of when the bats had access to the building. The photos showed them hanging from dorm room doors and in the stairwells of the dorm.

“If you open the door, you can hear the little chirping noises,” student Guinevere Grant told Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco.

Grant lives in the dorm and said the bat sightings started when students returned for the Spring semester.

UGA said in a statement staff found out on Jan. 14 and immediately called in pest control and wildlife specialists.

That team determined the bats were entering through the roof of the dorm and were roosting in the stairwell. It has since been repaired.

Students said they’re trying to protect their rooms following the infestation.

“On our hallways, there’s blankets shoved under the doorways so they don’t crawl in,” Grant said.

Still, students said some of their neighbors have come in contact with the bats.

“There was one flying around, and it crawled under the door of a girl’s room and went inside,” Grant said. “You had students throwing a blanket over to take it outside, just like a huddle of 18-year-olds trying to catch a bat.”

In the notice sent out Sunday, The Georgia Department of Health wrote: “The health concern about bats is that a small percentage are infected with rabies, a fatal disease that can be transmitted to people through the bite or scratch of an infected animal. It is also possible, but quite rare, that people may get rabies if infectious material from a rabid animal, such as saliva, gets directly into their eyes, nose, mouth, or a fresh open wound.”

“They’re great for the ecosystem, but they’re not great for your home or to be anywhere near us,” Wildlife Specialist Justin Buice said.

Buice works for Georgia PAWS, and said removal of bats is tricky because they’re a federally protected species. The Department of Natural Resources can fine you if you touch them, trap them, or move them.

“You just have to seal every nook and cranny of that place,” said Buice. “Then, you’ll find a couple spots where they’re coming in and out currently, and you would set what’s called a bat valve there.”

He said that’s a one-way door that allows them to leave, but they can’t get back inside. He added that bats usually move next door, which could leave UGA chasing a problem.

“We’re paying for a safe space, and we’re not getting that,” Grant said.

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The following is a statement sent by UGA officials to Channel 2 Action News:

“On Sunday, Jan. 14, residents of Oglethorpe House reported bats in a stairwell. University Housing acted quickly to dispatch a local pest control company to remove the bats that evening.

University Housing placed caution tape on the stairwell to alert residents, but the stairwell remained fully accessible in case of emergencies. Residents were cautioned to avoid the area.

Despite these efforts, the extraordinarily cold weather caused bats to return to the building. On Tuesday, the pest control company tracked the activity of the bats and realized that they were getting in and out via several openings in the roof line. These entry points were temporarily closed at that time, awaiting the arrival of a hydraulic lift later in the week that would enable crews to permanently seal the spaces and identify and close any other openings that were found. The lift is now onsite, and the work should be done Saturday morning. Bats are a protected species under state law, so they cannot be killed and must be humanely removed from a building.

In the meantime, the pest control company will be on call overnight. If residents do see a bat, they are asked to report it to the front desk so that it can be safely removed.

University Housing has communicated with residents frequently throughout this process and has been in contact with the Georgia Department of Public Health to further ensure the safety of our students and staff who are working in the residence hall.”

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