A bat colony closed down a Georgia school. Could they get in your house?

“This unexpected situation, much like a natural disaster, demanded swift action to ensure the continued health and safety of our students and staff,” said Camden County Schools Superintendent Tracolya Green in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The remediation at the coastal Georgia school was so expensive, state lawmakers set aside $500,000 in a mid-year budget adjustment to help offset the costs. Gov. Brian Kemp approved the funding in March.

District officials’ best guess is that the bats entered the school through a small opening under the gutters — about the size of a silver dollar. That’s all it takes, said Sam Holst, the lead small mammal biologist with Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources.

“This happens all the time,” he said about bats getting into homes or businesses. “It’s super common throughout the state.”

A colony infested a dorm at the University of Georgia in 2024 during a cold snap, for example. Georgia’s warmer climate makes it an appealing spot for bats. The state is home to 16 different species. They help keep the insect population in check by eating large numbers of mosquitoes, moths and beetles.

Bats are protected in Georgia, meaning you can’t kill them. But as bats carry rabies, removing them can be complicated in some cases.

Remediation for St. Marys Elementary School meant relocating the bats, sanitizing the entire school and replacing damaged ceiling tiles, gutter components and other building materials that had been affected.

But when bats get into a home, it’s not usually so disruptive.

“I think people are just generally afraid of bats,” Holst said. “Most situations it’s like, yeah there’s a lot of bats in your attic, but nothing’s really affecting you. You just have to get help.”

What to know about bat infestations

Avoid contact. Few bats are positive for rabies, but most people in the U.S. who die from rabies were exposed to a rabid bat. Bat bites can be tiny. If you think you may have been bitten or scratched, contact a health professional to determine if you need the rabies vaccine. Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prevention tips. Bats most commonly enter homes through attic vents, Holst said. Make sure that there is a screen behind your vents to prevent entry. Also, make sure that any opening into your home that’s larger than a dime is caulked or otherwise sealed to prevent an infestation before it happens.

Removal. If you have just one bat in your home, you can likely remove it on your own by wearing gloves, trapping it under a box and releasing it outside. For larger colonies, removal usually includes setting up a one-way exit for about a week, so bats cannot return when they leave. You can also try contacting a specially trained “bat rescuer.” Bat World Sanctuary has a list of them.

Timing matters. Bat maternity season takes place between April 1 and July 31, and during this time you can’t remove bats. The pups are too young to fly and could become trapped inside a structure. If you must remove bats during these months, it must be done by a licensed provider. Learn more from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.