As evening descends upon a sprawling country estate in Snohomish County, Washington state, a team of twelve volunteers gathers around Abby Tobin, a scientist from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Tobin alerts the group that the bats will soon become restless.
The volunteers attentively listen as Tobin lays out their task: capturing as many bats as possible to check for signs of the fungus responsible for white-nose syndrome, a disease that has been devastating bat populations in eastern North America for the past 15 years.
The fungus, known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans, infects the skin of bats, disrupting their hibernation patterns and leading to dehydration, starvation, and eventual death, as reported by the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative. However, scientist Cori Lausen, also known as the Bat Lady, is exploring a probiotic solution that could potentially save the bats.
White-nose syndrome has claimed over six million bats in eastern North America since 2006, according to the B.C. government. Anouk Simard, a biologist from Quebec’s Ministry of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, mentions the drastic decline in bat populations in Quebec due to the syndrome.
The extinction of bats in western regions due to white-nose syndrome could have severe repercussions as bats play a crucial role in pest control. In just one night, a bat can consume up to its body weight in insects, aiding in natural pest management and reducing the need for pesticides, as highlighted by Parks Canada.
A study published in the academic journal Science in 2024 suggests that regions affected by white-nose syndrome could experience an eight percent increase in human infant mortality rates. The decrease in bat populations leads to heightened pesticide use by farmers, impacting human health indirectly.
Apart from white-nose syndrome, habitat loss from deforestation and the threat posed by wind turbines are additional concerns for bat conservation, according to Lausen. To combat these challenges, Lausen is dedicated to safeguarding bat populations.
In preparation for winter, Lausen is actively fortifying defenses near Stave Lake, B.C., by administering a probiotic “cocktail” into bat roosts. This blend of four bacterial strains aims to combat the fungus causing white-nose syndrome, with early indications showing promising results.
Lausen’s innovative approach has garnered the admiration of American researchers who are evaluating the efficacy of her probiotic cocktail. The volunteer team in Snohomish County is engaged in capturing bats for assessment, checking for signs of the syndrome and probiotic traces, showcasing the collaborative efforts to protect bat populations.
As the team conducts their research, the challenges of identifying and treating bat populations in the west become apparent. Western bats’ preference for secluded habitats makes it difficult to monitor their well-being, posing a potential threat of undetected mass deaths due to white-nose syndrome.
The urgency to find a solution for bat conservation remains high, with the hope that efforts like Lausen’s probiotic treatment can help mitigate the impact of white-nose syndrome and other threats facing bat populations.