Bats and humans help each other in significant ways. Bats help humans by eating harmful insects and pollinating plants. Humans can help bats by having humane and responsible bat removal performed when the flying mammals roost in homes. Another way that humans can help bats is by testing them for white nose syndrome to determine how far it has spread and by taking steps to prevent infection if they come into the bats’ habitat.

What Is White Nose Syndrome?

White nose syndrome is a fungal infection that is responsible for killing millions of bats in North America. Believed to have originated from Europe, white nose syndrome was first identified in the United States, specifically New York, in 2006. Since then, it has spread to over half the states and five Canadian provinces.

White nose syndrome is caused by a species of fungus called Pseudogymnoascus destructans. In the later stages, the bats show a pale-colored fungal growth around their noses that looks like white fuzz, which is where the infection gets its name. The fungus thrives in cold temperatures and infects bats while they are hibernating in winter. Bats hibernate together in close quarters, during which time their body temperatures drop and their metabolism goes down, all of which makes them vulnerable to infection with the fungus.

The bats’ immune response to the infection causes them to wake up repeatedly during hibernation. When they are awake, their metabolism speeds up, drawing on the fat reserves that they had stored to sustain them through the winter and depleting them more quickly. Bats with white nose syndrome typically either starve to death or die of dehydration from waking up repeatedly before hibernation is over and they can hunt for more food.

How Is Testing for White Nose Syndrome Done?

The first step is to collect specimens for testing. This can be done by going into the bats’ habitat, but there is a risk of contaminating the environment with the fungus while carrying out the testing. The other option is to set up very fine nets outside the entrance to the bats’ roosting spot and testing the bats that get caught in it while exiting or entering the cave. The net is similar to a hairnet. The bats that are caught struggle to free themselves but only entangle themselves more securely in the attempt. Researchers removing the bats from the nets are careful to avoid injury to them, cutting the nets to free them when necessary.

Researchers record information about each of the bats tested, including its species, sex, and weight as well as the measurements of its arms, ears, and wings. Each bat is visually inspected for the telltale fungal growth characteristic of white nose syndrome. Researchers also swab the wings and nose of each bat to gain a sample for testing under laboratory conditions.

Before the bats are released, they receive a temporary mark identifying each as a bat that has already been tested. Some states, such as Utah, have started carrying out yearly testing of bat habitats to track the spread of white nose syndrome.

What Can You Do To Help Bats?

The biggest responsibility for helping to protect bats from white nose syndrome belongs to people who spend time in caves where bats roost. If you go caving, it is important to keep your shoes and gear clean to remove any fungus because P. destructans can survive on surfaces in the cave.

If you do not spend time in caves, there is little you can do to prevent white nose syndrome. However, you can help bats in general by calling Skedaddle for professional wildlife control in Milwaukee if you find bats roosting in your home. Because bats numbers are decreasing, in part because of white nose syndrome, they are a protected species. There is a brief window of opportunity for bat removal, so be sure to contact us right away.