Bat infestation shuts down Juab High School

NEPHI — A serious infestation of bats shut down Juab High School on Wednesday, as administrators said it was just too dangerous for students to stay in school.

“This year, the migration has been huge,” said Juab County School District superintendent Dr. Kodey Hughes. “To have kids in the way and to also have the possibility of not knowing what the animals are going to do, we just had to make a choice of kids need to be home and off campus.”

Juab High School, whose mascot is the wasp, now has posters around the school calling it the “Juab Bat Cave.”

But Huges said, “We teach school. We don’t deal with bats.”

The school district called the Division of Wildlife Resources, which referred them to several bat-removing companies, including the Critter Removers.

“We remove all different all types of critters,” said Dallin Bainum with Critter Removers. “This was a larger size colony. The main thing for bats is location. They are looking to mimic their natural habitat, and tall flat buildings mimic their rock structures.”

Since it’s against the law to kill or destroy bats, the solution becomes to get rid of their home. Workers installed vents all along the roof where the bats have been flying in and out. Now, the bats can fly out at night but can’t fly back into the school.

“We seal up anywhere where they could get in and then we put a valve where they are getting in multiple places,” Bainum said. “That allows the bats to come out unharmed and not get back in.”

School officials said the process seems to be working, and students are expected to return to the classroom in person on Thursday after Wednesday’s virtual day.

“The best place for kids is in the school and classroom. A virtual day is not a true learning day,” said Huges.