Bats nesting in a San Antonio apartment complex raise health concerns as residents claim management is unresponsive, prompting expert advice on humane bat exclusion.
SAN ANTONIO — A growing health concern is taking over a San Antonio affordable housing complex.
Residents at the Cassiano Homes apartment complex on South Laredo Street say bats are roosting inside the walls.
One bat flew into an apartment through a vent.
Tenants say apartment management is aware of the issue and ignoring concerns.
KENS 5 went to the complex Friday to track down solutions after a viewer sent in video of the bats emerging from cracks in the building. Residents believe the bats arrived about three weeks ago.
“You usually see them coming out from the corner or on top of the roof one by one,” said one resident who interviewed with us under condition of anonymity. “They usually do come out around 7-7:30 when the sun is already setting.”
The situation escalated when a bat made its way into an apartment, intensifying residents’ concerns about their safety and health.
“It’s concerning because we have children,” said the resident. “We don’t know what kind of diseases the bats are carrying.”
Tenants say work orders were filed at least 10 days ago and management’s response has been anything but urgent.
“Really it’s a conservation matter as much as it is a pest control issue,” said Lee Mackenzie, Refuge Manager with Austin Bat Refuge.
Mackenzie, along with Dianne Odegard, Executive Director of Austin Bat Refuge, say it’s possible this is just a temporary home for the bats.
“It might be a roost that some bats coming back from migration just discovered and are taking advantage of while the weather is still mild,” explained Odegard.
Both say exclusion tubes can be used to move the bats while safeguarding their well-being.
“Even a really humane bat exclusion is major habitat loss for bats,” said Odegard. “They’re gonna keep coming back to try and get back in for a while.”
What everyone should avoid, experts say, is using a foam-like product to seal openings where bats are roosting. Austin Bat Refuge, for example, uses netting to attract bats to their exclusion device.
“People have waited until dark when some bats fly out and then they seal up the crevices where they’re coming and going and assume that all bats have left when that’s not the case,” Mackenzie explained. “If you wait for some to fly out and seal the openings, its gonna trap hundreds or even thousands of bats in a wall or a roost where you don’t want them. You certainly don’t want them dying in the walls.”
Odegard and Mackenzie showed us a female bat they rescued from being trapped behind a foam sealant. They said somebody sealed up the bats’ exit too soon.
“Ended up getting herself completely encased in rock-hard, expansive foam,” said Odegard, holding the bat. “That’s a horrific way for an animal to die. We see that frequently.”
“This is going to be a long process of removing that foam,” Mackenzie added. “It’s really a horrible product.”
An hour after we left the Cassiano Homes apartment complex Friday, residents sent us a video of pest control arriving. Tenants sent in photos, saying pest control employees appeared to fill the cracks in the building with black foam.
While the City of San Antonio’s 311 service handles bat bite calls, they don’t respond for bat infestations. They instruct residents to call private exterminators or a pest control company.
We reached out to Opportunity Home’s corporate office and haven’t heard back.
If you find yourself in a situation where you need to contain a bat, visit Austin Bat Refuge’s website to learn proper protocols.