Texas prison fights bat infestation in old warehouse

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Texas Department of Criminal Justice faces a unique challenge; one involving hundreds of thousands of bats roosting in a dilapidated cotton warehouse across the street from the Huntsville Correctional Facility.

TDCJ officials have spent more than a decade trying and failing to entice the colony to find other housing so the building can be demolished.

KPRC 2 Investigator Robert Arnold first took you inside the condemned warehouse back in 2018. This week he returns to Huntsville to check in on the prison system’s progress and any upcoming plans to make the warehouse bat-free.

See Thursday 31 October at 6:30 on KPRC 2 News Today. On the go? Download the KPRC 2+ app to watch or listen anywhere.

If you ever come across a bat, the Center for Disease Control says to be aware that they may have rabies. Here are the signs:

• A bat that is active during the day.

• A bat found in unusual places (inside a home or on the ground).

• A bat that is unable to fly or is easily approached.

What to do if you encounter a bat

• Avoid touching bats. If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, wash the wound with soap and water and get medical attention right away. If bat saliva or brain material gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound, contact a healthcare professional immediately.

• Bat bites can be small, so if you think you’ve been in contact with a bat, talk to a doctor.

• If you find a bat in your home, contact animal control or a health professional to safely capture it for rabies testing. Do not release the bat until you speak with a public health expert.

Keep bats out of your home

Bats can fit through small openings, even as small as ¼ inch, and they often find shelter in homes. You can contact an animal control or animal welfare agency for help in “bat-proofing” your home. You can also take bat-proof steps on your own.

• Check for any openings that bats can use to enter.

• Seal all openings larger than a dime.

• Use screens, chimney caps and draft screens to seal attic doors.

• Fill electrical and plumbing holes with steel wool or caulk.

• Make sure all doors to the outside close tightly.

If you have bats in your home

• See where they leave at dusk.

• Count approximately how many there are.

• Loosely hang plastic wrap or bird netting over the exit hole(s).

• This prevents the bats that left from returning and allows the remaining bats to leave.

• Once all bats have exited, seal the opening(s).

How to safely catch a bat

1. Find a container such as a box or jar that is large enough for the bat to fit inside.

2. Find a piece of cardboard large enough to cover the opening of the container.

3. Poke small air holes in the cardboard.

4. Put on leather work gloves.

5. When the bat lands, approach it slowly and place the container over it.

6. Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside.

7. Tape the cardboard to the container to secure the bat inside.