Bats living in the walls forces Clemson to cancel shows at performing arts center — again
The bats came back.
For the second year in a row, Clemson University has closed its performing arts center because of a bat infestation, according to a news release.
Shows scheduled for the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts have either been canceled or moved to another venue off campus, Clemson said in the news release.
In 2018, the theater was closed from March 30 through April 27 after “a free-tailed bat colony ... had roosted in a wall,” the university said in the release.
A Clemson official said the performing arts center was infested with bats last year, but the current issue “seems to be much more limited in scope,” the Greenville News reported. In 2018, bats were first spotted flying around the theater during a ballet performance, according to the newspaper.
After two bats were spotted on Feb. 27, an inspection was made to the wall where the bats “roosted” a year ago, and about 20 free-tailed bats were seen entering a small gap in the wall, the university said in the news release.
Now efforts are underway to get the bats to leave, this time for good.
Clemson has been working with “a private pest control company and wildlife experts to safely remove the bats without harm to them,” according to the news release.
A solution offered to keep them out is patching holes in the wall, some as small as 3/8 inch, by either sealing the holes or placing a device called an “excluder” that would allow the bats to leave but not reenter, the university said in the news release.
“As always, the safety of students, faculty, staff and patrons is our highest priority,” the university said in the news release. “While it has been frustrating to discover a small number of bats this spring, we are working closely with the university’s Facilities team to ensure that the issue is quickly and fully resolved.
Clemson has not announced a date that the performing arts center will reopen. A “prolonged closure is not anticipated,” according to the news release.
The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company performance scheduled for March 1 was canceled, and events scheduled for Tuesday (Cantus) and Thursday (Magic School Bus) have been moved to other venues, according to posts on the Facebook page for the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts.
The university has already moved the Friday concert by the 282nd Army Band, as well as the CU Symphonic Band performance scheduled for next Monday to D.W. Daniel High School, according to the news release.
“We regret any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming audiences back into the Brooks Theatre so they can enjoy quality entertainment in a facility that has been recognized as one of the country’s top 10 university performing arts centers,” the university said in the news release.
“Only about 6 percent” of captured bats have rabies, according to The Washington Post. But Clemson reminded the public “not to interact with ... touch ... or harm” bats, which are protected by federal law.
“Any direct contact with a bat is grounds for medical attention to rule out the remote risk of contact with rabies,” the university said in the news release.
