Mysterious bat disease

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I did see a recent TV interview with Ward Stone, DEC wildlife pathologist, on the subject. The story with a video link is here. Stone's observations are that some bats are dying of starvation without the disease, and in other cases the dead bats with the symptoms do not appear to have died from the disease. His theory is that because of warmer weather the bats are staying active longer, perhaps expending energy without finding enough insects to sustain them, and may be starving as a result.

The report also emphasizes that people should stay out of bat caves during the winter to prevent the bats from waking and causing them to expend needless energy. That has long been the standard recommendation.
 
One thing we all can do is install bat houses in our neighborhoods. Kits are relatively inexpensive - $15 and up online, and easy to assemble. My son did his Eagle project on bats this past year - had volunteers assemble and install 50 bat houses on the grounds of the local library and environs. As URI professor Peter August said during the program, resting areas are just as important as nesting areas, and bat houses provide both. Obviously they don't help with hibernation, but will help during warmer months.
 
Raymond said:
Mark, did Mr. Stone have an explanation for the white fungus on the bats’ noses?
Click to expand...
Dr. Ward Stone also does a weekly program, "In Our Backyard" for the Albany based NPR radio station, WAMC. On the last episode he had an lengthy discussion on the bat condition which can be heard in this MP3 clip. He reiterated his climate change theory and a variety of bat observations that he has made in the last couple of years. He mentions that the white nose fungi are three common fungi that grow in the area of the bat caves.

I also read a counter argument to Dr. Stone's theory on a caving forum in this post.
 
mysterious bat

I heard that there has been a huge drop in some populations...some down 90%! Alarming.
 
Very weird but heres what i heard about this on Wednesday...my source is a Dr. who is also a podiatrist....she rehabs bats and has a lot of bat posters and "Bat World" newspapers in her office from Texas....in certain words the bats are dying because of "Nicotine based pesticides"...she told me it was the same stuff used in France app 6 years ago...it killed many bees and the grape farmers were upset because it messed up the pollination for their vineyards...they battled the French govt to ban the "nicotine stuff" and won...

A few years ago some guy who rents out his bees lost over 250,000 of them when they died in California, also where the "nicotine stuff" was used....this lady was telling me all this stuff while she was holding a blade to my toes :eek:

She works with the DEC and other groups...nothing else I can add but she was pretty ticked off and after hearing about 1/2 a million bats dying because of human screw up ...another shame by humans...
 
One of my colleagues is part of the team studying the white-nose syndrome deaths in bats (he's one of the researchers quoted in the NYT article). At this point there is no strong evidence favoring one cause over another. So I think to blame pesticides for this one is a bit premature. It could also be an as of yet unidentified pathogen. Also, it is my understanding that for honeybee colony collapse its also not clear whether its an environmental issue (e.g. a toxin) or a pathogen.
 
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I hear ya....I just mentioned to her that I heard about the bats dying off when I read about them on a hiking website (this one)...as soon as I said that, it must have sent her over the edge because for the next 15-20 min she gave me her "theory", plus her theory about West Nile and some guy the gov't is trying to blame for it....like I said before, she had a knife and a drill at my little toes, so I sat back and went "uh humm", thinking about the blond in "Fatal attraction" and Kathy Bates who broke the guys ankles in that movie....what ever the reason I hope that if it was human error it never happens again, and if it's nature's way of eliminating a species, that's scary....
 
coldfeet said:
I hear ya....I just mentioned to her that I heard about the bats dying off when I read about them on a hiking website (this one)...as soon as I said that, it must have sent her over the edge because for the next 15-20 min she gave me her "theory", plus her theory about West Nile and some guy the gov't is trying to blame for it....like I said before, she had a knife and a drill at my little toes, so I sat back and went "uh humm", thinking about the blond in "Fatal attraction" and Kathy Bates who broke the guys ankles in that movie....what ever the reason I hope that if it was human error it never happens again, and if it's nature's way of eliminating a species, that's scary....
Click to expand...


I think I would agree too in that position! My dad was a dentist for almost 50 years. Its amazing how many people "agreed" with his opinions.
The pesticide theory is certainly possible, however its just one of several being considered at this point.
 
makes me wonder if the researchers themselves might be spreading it. it certainly does seem to be spreading like an infectious disease. only time will tell.

I wonder if a spray of antifungal solution might do the trick. most of these bats hibernate huddled together, so it would be easy to spray a few thousand in a couple of seconds.
 
This is off topic, but with so many here interested in bats and with information on them...

I have bats living in my attic. On occasion they get into the main house.

I don't have an issue with bats as a rule, but would prefer not to have them as roommates. Unless they start paying some rent.

I have yet to find where they are entering and leaving from, so have no way to prevent them from doing so.

If I were to put up several bat houses in the backyard do you think they would vacate the attic?

Someone mentioned putting screening up over the soffet vents that would allow them to leave, but not to return, similar to a lobster trap. If I chose this route, what time of year would be the best so as not to leave the young ones behind and starving? Or do they start flying and feeding for themselves right away?

They are awfully cute critters, and I am greatful for their help in insect control, but they really don't make great housemates...

:rolleyes:
 
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