The Bat-astrophe

While we had Jack Frost nipping at our noses during the chilly winter months in Wisconsin, the bats that hibernate in Wisconsin’s caves had something much more grim nipping at their noses. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease that has been plaguing hibernating bats since its discovery in 2006. The primary effect of this disease is that the bats are waking up frequently during hibernation. This state of restlessness exhausts their energy supplies, causing them to die from either exposure to the elements, starvation or dehydration.

"Little Brown Bat; close up of nose with fungus, New York, Oct. 2008. 
Credit: Ryan von Linden/New York Department of Environmental Conservation" 
(whitenosesyndrome.org)

The Wisconsin DNR has estimated that 5.7-6.7 million bats have fallen to WNS in the last decade, making this the most prominent loss of wildlife in North American history. This staggering mortality rate signifies that the decline in some bat populations is approaching 100%, which would mean extinction for them. The extinction of certain cave bat species would be devastating in itself but also devastating for the ecosystems that the bats play a large role in. Bats are not only pollinators but they are also a natural, effective form of pest control as they consume agricultural nuisance insects as well as harmful insects that carry diseases, such as the West Nile Virus.  

The WNS prognosis is bleak, but the future's looking bright as treatment methods have been developed and are being tested this year. One of the possible treatments is a preventative vaccine that is being administered to the bats by Wisconsin DNR biologists along with University of Wisconsin researchers and the US Geological Survey. Despite this vaccine being in its early stages of testing, the results are looking promising. The second form of treatment is the use of an ultraviolet light to kill the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. Another treatment is an anti-fungal agent that is distributed in caves with a “bat-fogger”. This treatment method was deployed in 2017 in a railway tunnel in Northern Georgia and when examined the following year in April 2018, there were 26 more bats present than there were the previous year. With these new developments, hopefully, in the years to come cave bats will have a more restful sleep through the winter months. 


White-nose syndrome affects four of the seven species of bats in Wisconsin, with three species listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need. It’s important now more than ever that we learn about these bat species with the large threat that WNS poses towards them; which has been made easier in the past decade with new bat monitoring technology and practices. Acoustic Bat Monitoring is one practice that utilizes specialized devices to pick up echolocations from bats and marks each echolocation with a GPS coordinate, which is then sent to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). From there, the DNR can tell what kind of species it is because each species has its own unique echolocation. 


If you’re interested in learning more about these misunderstood night critters, you can come out to Beaver Creek Reserve and participate in our Acoustic Bat Monitoring program on April 24th, from 7:30-9:15 PM. At this program you will learn how to use the Citizen Science Center’s Acoustic Bat Monitoring device which will collect data about these endangered species through both driving and walking surveys. We've been doing bat monitoring at the Citizen Science Center since the winter of 2008, with over 100 surveys conducted. Registration ends on April 23rd.