[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EW-06-05-12-Bats-II.mp3|titles=EW 06-05-12 Bats II]
A few months back, I spoke on Earth Wise about the loss of bats in North America. First noted in New York State in 2006, a fungal disease, known as white-nose syndrome, has wiped out bat populations in many regions. Officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimate that as many as 6.7 million bats have perished.
This spring, bats did not return to the eves of our house in upstate New York, where we saw them regularly just a few years ago. Now, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal reports that white-nose syndrome has moved into areas with significant agricultural production, including Missouri, Alabama, and Indiana.
Why should we care? Most of us associate bats with Halloween. But we should start thinking of them as nature’s pest control. Bats are voracious consumers of insects. In Missouri alone, they consume some 540 tons of insects each year. Safely and free-of-charge, bats protect our food supply. With fewer bats, pesticide reliance will increase and food will be more expensive.
Emerging research suggests that white-nose fungus is an invasive European species. We know little about how it is transmitted and if resistance will develop in our bat populations. Currently the disease has already spread to 19 states and biologist fear several species of bats are facing extinction.
Research on white-nose is a wise use of taxpayers’ money, especially if we can find a cure. The investment will be returned by nature, which will continue to protect crops for our benefit.
Web Links
http://earthsky.org/biodiversity/white-nose-syndrome-likely-caused-by-invasive-fungal-species
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2012/2012-01-17-092.html
Photo, taken on April 25, 2011, courtesy of USFWS via Flickr.