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Beneficial bats
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Endangered. There’s a reason that bats fall under the “terrestrial species of greatest conservation need” in her title. Some, like the Indiana bat, were already on endangered species lists because of their sensitivity to insecticides, loss of forest habitat, etc. But others among Ohio’s bat species have experienced a 95% decline in population since white-nose syndrome appeared here a decade ago.
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White-nose syndrome is caused by a fungus that probably came from Europe. It loves the cold and spreads in caves, abandoned mines and other places where bats hibernate during the winter. In later stages, the fungus appears on bats’ muzzles and wings but also causes internal changes, including irritation that makes them wake up prematurely and use up their fat reserves before food is available.
In the past few years, one or two of these endangered bats have been found in surveys, so their population declines have been deemed “stabilized.”
“But that doesn’t mean they’re rebounding,” Wyza said. “We may find a couple of individuals, but we don’t know if that means they can find a summer roosting area, find a mate and have little ones.”
Her agency is trying to help bats by locating trees where they are roosting in summer, then protecting other trees for several miles around it from clearing or development — permanently. That’s doable on public land, like parks. On private land, “we just try to talk to the owners and see if we can convince them to help,” she said.
Homeowners are also encouraged to put up bat houses, grow native plants that attract moths and other insects on the bats’ menu and create long ponds that give bats enough room to swoop down and get a drink as they fly by.
Why would anyone want to attract bats to their home?
“People who do this report fewer mosquitos, deer flies and other pests around the house, plus less damage to food crops,” Wyza said. “Bats are beneficial because they’re great at insect control.”
(Barbara Mudrak was a reporter for 25 years, most with the Akron Beacon Journal, and recently retired from teaching English and new writing at Alliance High School. She can be reached at editorial+barb@ farmanddairy.com.)
