Bats to be removed from home near Moorpark College; home quarantined

By Michele Willer-Allred
July 22, 2011– Ventura County Star
Under an emergency order issued by the county, an
exterminator was called in Friday to remove bats from a home
identified where rabid bats have been colonizing near
Moorpark College, city officials said.
But a local nonprofit opposes the order, saying if the bats are
removed too soon, it could cause big problems for the
neighborhood.
Animal control investigators have narrowed the origin of the
rabid bats to four homes near the college. Some of the
homeowners already have taken measures to have the bats,
some numbering in the hundreds, removed.
Ventura County health officials issued an emergency
abatement order for homeowner Steve Spence to remove the
bats from his home by Friday. Spence’s home is under
quarantine by the Ventura County Department of Public
Health.
John Brand, the city’s senior management analyst, said the
homeowner has stepped up to have the bats removed.
Another home may still have bats, but the county did not issue
an abatement order for that home, he said.
About a dozen bats were collected from the homes over a
period of two months, and 10 tested positive for rabies by the
county.
Dr. Robert Levin, county public health officer, said Ventura
County does get some rabid bats, but usually only eight to 12
test positive per year.
“This is a focused amount of rabies in a short time period and
in a small geographic area,” Levin said.
City officials said all the bats were in one particular
neighborhood where all the homes have Spanish tile roofs
where bats like to colonize.
The bats to be removed from the Moorpark home were to be
trapped, channeled into a container and removed, Brand said.
Because the bats are part of a rabid colony, the county has
instructed that they be euthanized.
By Friday afternoon, traps were set up. The bats were
expected to be caught when they came out at night.
Miriam Quintero, Spence’s girlfriend, said the couple was
aware bats were around the neighborhood that lies next the
city’s arroyo, but the bats would eventually leave at a certain
time, usually August.
Because of a divorce, Spence didn’t live in the home for many
years. Spence and Quintero moved back in June.
After a bat was found on the property with rabies, problems
started for the couple. Spence, who was bitten by a bat, is
undergoing rabies vaccinations.
Quintero said city officials came to their house Thursday with
a letter ordering the removal of the bats in 24 hours.
“We were the only home here pressured to remove them. (The
situation) has been a nightmare,” Quintero said.
Quintero said the couple asked the city for financial help
because just setting up the nets could cost $1,500 to $2,000.
She said the city hasn’t offered help. They were able to hire
someone sympathetic to their plight for $1,000.
Quintero said they still will have to come up with money to pay
for the removal of the bats once they’re caught in the nets.
The Moss Landing-based nonprofit WildRescue opposes the
removal of the bats at this time.
The group said it is still “pupping” season for this species of
baby bats, known as California myotis. The group has asked
that they wait three more weeks so the young bats can
develop flight skills.
If steps are taken to eradicate the bats prematurely, the group
says experts warn it will likely cause huge problems for people
living in the vicinity.
Starving juvenile bats might inundate the neighborhood as
they search for the adults. The baby bats left behind in the
house will end up hiding in crevasses, rotting after they die.
“Just because a number of grounded bats have tested positive
for rabies, this does not mean the colony itself is rabid. Rabid
bats leave their colony to die alone. This is likely why there
has never been an outbreak of rabies in a colony of bats in all
recorded history,” said Rebecca Dmytryk, administrator for
WildRescue.
Quintero said she’d also like to wait until mid- to late August
because she doesn’t know what kind of problems will be left in
the house.
“We were hoping that we could wait till they left on their own,
which they’re expected to do,” Quintero said as she looked up
at the nets bordering the top tiles of the house.
“Right now, it’s just a waiting process to see what happens
next,” she said.
City and county officials also are continuing their warning to
area residents to make sure their pets are vaccinated for
rabies and to keep their cats inside.