Going batty? Call 3-3333 for “pest” control

As spring awakens many of us from our winter slumber, it also rouses the bats that have spent the cold months roosting inside campus buildings. Getting back outside can be tricky, leaving some of these bats no choice but to swoop through offices or hallways.

Doug Thiessen, the campus exterminator and pest control expert, urges bat-spotters to leave the flying creatures alone and to contact professionals trained in handling bats.

While he says that these bats cause little threat to humans, safety is still of utmost concern. The preservation of these creatures is also a priority.

If you see a bat in a building, contact Thiessen by calling 263-3333, which is the phone number for the Central Answering and Response Service Unit. If Thiessen is unavailable, the message will be forwarded to an appropriate person.

Facts to boost the reputation of bats:

• There are nearly 1,000 bat species worldwide, making up about 20 percent of all mammal species.
• Three of these are vampire bats, none of which live in the United States.
• Bats live throughout the world, except in high altitudes or the Arctic.
• Bats are the only mammals that can fly.
• Most bats, including the seven species found in Wisconsin, feast solely on insects, sometimes gobbling up to 600 of them per hour.
• Some plants, such as banana and mango trees, rely on bats for pollination and seed dispersal.
• Only 10 people have contracted rabies from bats in a 30-year period, according to the National Park Service.
• Of the 45 bat species found in the United States, six are listed as endangered.