Entrances for the little flying mammals were closed up, but a few didn’t find their way out
by Rebekah Roth
staff writer, GHS Blue Ink
On Tuesday, September 6, students and staff at Garretson School recognized some peculiar mammals residing in the building. At least two bats were discovered that morning, right as students were returning from the long holiday weekend.
The first bat was found hanging on the wall by the main entrance in the commons and remained there well into the afternoon until the City of Garretson arrived to extract it. The second bat, however, has a much more adventurous story.
“I noticed the bat first period when I walked into Bohl’s class. There was one laying two feet in front of me on the floor,” recalled sophomore Martin Welch. “It wasn’t that hard to catch the bat. We just put the bat in a box and set it free outside.”
“It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. My old house had bats for as long as I can remember, so I’ve always dealt with them. It didn’t affect me much; Bohl and I took care of it.”
Welch also mentioned, “I would consider Bohl the real Batman. He’s a real stud.”
The bats didn’t just impact students though; English and history teacher Tim Hughes had his own perspective on the infestation.
“I was told by Mr. Bohl that there was a bat in his classroom Tuesday morning. The only bat I saw was on the wall in the commons area,” noted Hughes. “It was hanging up—chilling and doing its thing.
“I live in central Sioux Falls, so I’m used to seeing bats all the time. As a matter of fact, I just got one out of my house on Saturday. It didn’t affect me at all.”
“Bats are pretty pliable. They can fit into the smallest of cracks, so there’s any number of ways they could have gotten into the building. Generally speaking they’re going to come in through ceiling accesses,” shared Hughes.
According to Varmint Guard Wildlife Services, bats are capable of squeezing into access points no larger than a dime. Typically, bats gravitate towards entrances in the roof, and then root themselves inside the walls or attics of buildings.
Two weeks ago, Melissa Jensen, the head custodian at Garretson School, found that there were bat droppings on the roof and informed administration.
Pest control was contacted and visited the school to remove bats and seal cracks the following week. However, not all of the bats were extracted from their crevices, which resulted in the critters being found inside the school building this week.
School administration reported the problem to the City of Garretson, who removed the second bat sometime after high school lunch. Then, the City conducted a bat search throughout the school building and scanned the interior for possible cracks that the bats may have used to enter.
Opinions are split on whether or not bat infestations are going to be a reoccurring issue inside of Garretson school. Regardless, the shock these animals caused is enough for students and staff to remember this eventful week.
