Bats and ants found in dorms and off-campus houses

The beginning of every school year brings new faces, and this year, USD has faced an unwelcome population. These new faces are not freshmen, but bats and ants. 

Bats and ants have been spotted in several buildings on and around campus. Brookman Hall has seen ants in multiple rooms, according to Kate Fitzgerald, Housing Director in Brookman Hall.

“There were some ants in Brookman. We think it was caused by landscaping work outside. An exterminator was here the day after it was reported, and we have not had any issues after it was treated,” Fitzgerald said in an email interview with The Volante.

Bats, traditionally more difficult to remove than ants based on their mobility, have also appeared on and around campus. Last Thursday, the University Police Department captured and released a bat in Coyote Village.

Students who rent residences off-campus are also having bat problems. Blake Cwach, a junior year and a health services administration and accounting major, lives close to campus and said two different bats appeared in his household on separate nights last week. 

He and his roommates used buckets to catch the bats, he said. After taking them a distance from the house, they released them. 

“We called our landlord to bat-proof the house,” said. “They put up mesh nets in areas where the bats can come into the house.” 

Following the bat-proofing, Cwach said they haven’t had any further issues.

Violence should not be the initial reaction when spotting a bat. Many bats are a threatened species, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.

UPD helps with bat removal throughout the year. Also, if students see a bat on campus, the best way to get rid of it is to contact Michigan’s Bat Expert for bat control services.