Bat Removal Waco, TX

Waco's rules and contacts

• Waco Animal Services: (254) 750-1765 during business hours and (254) 750-7500 after hours or for emergencies. The city lists wildlife inside a home or business and possible bat exposure as priority calls.
• The 24-hour rule: anyone bitten or scratched by an animal in Waco must report it within 24 hours. The city lists a minimum $100 fine for not reporting.
• Waco-McLennan County Public Health District: 225 W. Waco Drive, 254-750-5411. Its animal-bite PSA calls bat bites high-risk and says the bat has to be euthanized and tested. The district's disease-reporting contact on the DSHS list is Fannie Parker, (254) 750-5775.

Bats in Waco

In September 2018, Waco Animal Control collected a bat from an outside wall in the 600 block of Austin Avenue downtown, and it tested positive for rabies. No human or animal contact was found. In 2024, DSHS's county summary shows 8 McLennan County bats tested, all negative.

Waco is also where TxDOT's highway bat boxes started. The agency says its large bat box design debuted along I-35 in Waco in 2019, built with Bat Conservation International to give bats displaced by bridge work somewhere else to roost.

Waco housing

Waco has much older housing than the newer Central Texas suburbs. About 49% of units were built before 1980, and the median year built is 1981. About 20% are in buildings with 10 or more units. In the older neighborhoods, bats get in through gaps where wood siding meets the eaves, loose attic vent louvers, and chimney flashing. On apartment buildings, they use expansion joints and gaps behind trim at the roofline.

Timing

At Waco Regional Airport, average lows stay at 50°F or warmer from April through October. TPWD discourages exclusion from May 1 to August 15, so mid-August through October is the main window. Brazilian free-tailed bats migrate south between late October and mid-November.

Waco housing and climate snapshot

• Housing units: 62,409 (median year built 1981)
• Built before 1980: 49%; built 2010 or later: 22%
• Single-family detached: 60%; buildings with 10+ units: 20%
• Renter-occupied homes: 52%
• Average January low: 36°F; average August high: 97°F
• Months with an average low of 50°F or warmer: Apr–Oct

Housing figures: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year estimates (tables B25024, B25034, B25035, B25003) via Census Reporter. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Waco Rgnl Ap station.

Common questions

Nearby city guides

• Temple
• Hewitt
• Bellmead
• Lorena
• Killeen

Sources

1. City of Waco: Animal Services
2. City of Waco: Animal Control
3. Waco-McLennan County Public Health District: animal bite PSA (PDF)
4. Texas DSHS: Mclennan County disease reporting contacts
5. KXXV: bat found in downtown Waco tests positive for rabies (2018)
6. TxDOT: bat habitat support taking off statewide (2024)
7. Texas DSHS: 2024 rabies summary by county (PDF)
8. Mammals of Texas (TTU NSRL): Brazilian free-tailed bat
9. TPWD Outdoor Annual: nongame and other species (bats)
10. Texas DSHS: bat exposure scenarios and capture tips
11. Census Reporter: Waco ACS 2024 profile
12. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 monthly normals (Waco Rgnl Ap)