Foxes, fleas found at Citrus Heights-area elementary school. What’s being done to remove them
By ORKO MANNA
Click here for updates on this story
CITRUS HEIGHTS, California (KCRA) — Skycrest Elementary School in Citrus Heights is dealing with a unique problem: foxes on campus.
The San Juan Unified School District said there have been sightings of one or multiple foxes over the past couple of weeks. District spokesperson Trent Allen said school staff first noticed fleas in the buildings, and they believe those fleas are coming from the foxes.
Allen said there have been fox sightings in multiple places including near the wooded area at the back of the campus, in enclosed spaces where there are storage materials, and even in open areas under school buildings. The goal is to keep the foxes out of those areas.
“We’re going through the campus and making sure that all those spaces where they might be hanging out and hiding are kind of blocked off or not being attractive to them,” Allen said. “We’re making sure those are clear and then boarding those up and making sure there’s nothing that can get down there.”
Allen also said traps are now being set on school grounds to catch the foxes so that they can be removed from campus.
“Even though the experts tell us that foxes generally are not harmful to people, again, it’s not something that we want around our students and our school community,” Allen said.
Third-grader Mason Ellington said he spotted a fox during recess recently.
“I’m kind of scared knowing, like, it could come into my classroom or try getting in,” Ellington said. “I’ve just been scared for the past two weeks.”
Ellington’s mother, Rachael Gibbs, said she is worried about her son’s safety, especially in the outdoor areas. She explained they’ve only been allowed on the blacktop but she still feels worried about the students being outside at all.
Gibbs is also concerned about the fleas inside the school buildings and said her son has come home with flea bites on his legs. She said she did not know where the bites came from until she received an email.
A Sept. 8 email from the Skycrest Elementary School principal mentioned the steps taken to address the fleas, but there was no mention of a fox or foxes. Here is an excerpt:
“We are working with a pest control company which has identified the root cause and will treat the buildings and exterior areas for fleas. There will also be extra vacuuming and cleaning of classrooms until the issue is resolved.” A second email to school families was sent Sept. 19 and provided an update on the situation. It reads in part:
“We believe the source of the fleas may be a fox, or multiple foxes, that have been spotted on and near our campus… If you or your student observe a fox, please maintain your distance out of an abundance of caution and report its location to the school office to assist in our efforts to locate and remove them.” Despite the latest email, some parents said they wished the school or school district had notified them earlier about the wild animals.
“I’ve never heard about this until today, so, I mean, I think if there’s been foxes on campus. Parents should have been notified already,” Chantel Gordon said. “It’s just for the safety for the other kids. I mean, if someone gets bit and then it’s going to turn into a whole other story.”
The school district said it is working with local wildlife agencies to find and remove the foxes. The district also said a professional pest control company is monitoring and treating the school buildings daily until the campus no longer has fleas.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
