Bats' time in Oldsmar post office almost over
OLDSMAR (FOX 13) - In broad daylight, there's no sign of them. But, at dusk, they take flight. The Oldsmar Post Office is undergoing renovations, and with that, it's given bats a way in.
"Typically the bats will just find a place that's comfortable," said Mike Searle of the American Postal Workers Union. "It's warm, it's a good place, safe, high enough off the ground where they feel safe from predators. They'll occupy."
Captured on video, you can see bats roaming around the post office.
"We're doing repairs to the roof when the workers discovered there were bats in the roof," said Enola Rice, spokesperson for USPS. "We immediately got in touch with the bat removal company. They let us know that there's actually a season in Florida where the bats cannot be removed."
Bat exclusions are illegal from April 16 to August 14. That means tomorrow, the contractor for the project can begin removing the bats.
"They typically will install some kind of mechanism where the bats can leave but they can't come back in," said Searle. "You can't trap the bats inside or they'll die. They're still protected even after their mating season. You can't run them out of their home, while they're rearing their pups."
This isn't the first time a Bay Area post office has gone to the bats. In New Tampa, a bat house was constructed to lure bats from the Post Office off Bruce B. Downs.
"Bats very rarely have rabies or any diseases you can catch," said Searle. "The worst part is their guano, which is pretty smelly."
The post office is keeping its regular hours during the construction, and officials say customers shouldn't be worried about the bats.
FOX 13 reached out the company contracted to remove the bats when it's time, and it had no comment.