White Nose Syndrome on Bats

13 years ago

I've been reading a bit about this fungus that's killing bats. It's almost to Colorado and won't be long before it's here. I've read estimates of 80-100% kills are possible in colonies. I imagine that surviving bats will repopulate before too long but there's question as to some species being wiped out.

This isn't good news for gardeners or society in general. Not having healthy populations of bats is going to lead to plenty of extra not so welcome bugs.

Comments (5)

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years ago
Lots of problems that don't get press are similar or greater in magnitude to this issue that has been going on for at least 3 years in New England-NE USA. Concern here is West Nile-type vector increase to humans (whereas greater ecosystem impacts don't get reported in mainstream em-ess-em).

Dan
Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
13 years ago
I've been sort of following this for the last couple months. They're starting to close caves in an attempt to help the bats, and a lot of cavers aren't too happy! Hopefully it'll help, but nobody really knows for now!

Folks might want to consider putting up individual bat houses in their back yards. It wouldn't help THOUSANDS of bats, but if enough people got them, it could help quite a few, though it really wouldn't help in winter, I guess, with either the bats that go somewhere to hibernate OR the ones that migrate! But at least in summer it would keep some "local" to help with the bugs in your own backyard! The one cabin I stayed at in Wisconsin in June had a 100-bat house in the yard, and it was fun to watch them come out at dusk! A friend in Longmont has a bat house, and I think I might get one next year.

At least they seem to be close to figuring out what's going on with bee colony collapse!

So what's next?

Skybird

P.S. Dan, Laughs-at-Mosquitoes here, who's already had WNV! But, no, I wouldn't wish it upon anybody else!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bat-Killing Disease Spreading, Closing Western Caves
Related Professionals
Maple Valley Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · White Oak Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Matthews Landscape Contractors · Edmond Landscape Contractors · Fort Hunt Landscape Contractors · Fort Myers Landscape Contractors · Methuen Landscape Contractors · Milford Landscape Contractors · Mission Landscape Contractors · Newnan Landscape Contractors · Pompano Beach Landscape Contractors · Pompton Lakes Landscape Contractors · San Antonio Landscape Contractors · Lauderdale Lakes Landscape Contractors · Baileys Crossroads Landscape Contractors
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years ago
My graduate school specialty was urban ecology, so that colors my outlook on this thread (close to Aldo Leopold: "One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.").

That latest paper on CCD only nudges a bit closer, as the pesticide side wasn't looked at (old Bayer scientist was lead author), so there's some time to go, which is a little different for bats, as the fungus can exist without the host, whereas in bees they need the host to live, apparently. I keep trying for approval from the fam for bat houses, to no avail...sigh...

Dan
david52 Zone 6
13 years ago
Related - when the West Nile went through here, it decimated the population of owls and magpies. Just now they're coming back, and this past summer I had a barn owl hanging around the back yard for a few days, and there's a pair of magpies out and about now.

In contrast, I used see owls almost nightly and hear them constantly, and there would be a flock of 20-odd magpies constantly around the yard.
provogirl
13 years ago
I have always wanted a bat house. The same day the article about bats was in the post I found a bat house on clearance at Lowes so I bought it! I am going to put it up on the south side of the house. I am curious about how the bats will find it...I guess I will just have to wait and see.