Bat Week is coming up and this year it starts Oct. 24, just in time for Halloween! Seriously, this designated week is a time to think about these misunderstood animals that really have an important niche in our ecosystem. It is a time to raise awareness about the need for bat conservation and to celebrate the role of bats in nature. As you know, the bat population was decimated by White Nose Syndrome.
White Nose Syndrome (WNS) is the descriptive term given to a condition first observed in bats hibernating in a cave near Albany, N.Y. in February 2006. The term comes from the fact that some of the bats with this condition look like they dipped their faces in powdered sugar. The white powdery substance on their faces is a fungus. On closer examination, this white fungus can also be seen on the bare skin of their ears and wings. In 2009, this fungus was described as a newly discovered species now known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd. This fungus grows best in cool temperatures and high humidity, similar to the conditions found in bat winter hibernation sites, like caves.
At the largest Massachusetts bat hibernation site in an abandoned mine in Chester, there were about 10,000 little brown bats in early winter 2007/08. By the end of winter 2008/09, nearly every bat had been killed by WNS and only 14 individual bats remained. The population at this mine, and throughout the Northeast, has since risen and it appears that immune survivors are passing that trait along.
Bats often find their way into homes and it can be upsetting. Open a door and they will find their way out. In truth, these misunderstood flying mammals play a critical role in our environment and many bat species are in decline. Massachusetts is home to nine species of bats, five of which are considered endangered. One of the greatest threats to bats is still White Nose Syndrome but other threats include habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change.
Despite the threats, there are ways to help bats. Get ready to celebrate Bat Week at the end of the month by learning about what you can do to protect the bats in your backyard. One of the best ways you can support bat conservation is to put up an artificial roost, like a bat house. Bat houses give females a safe, warm place to raise their young. Since most female bats only have one pup each year, bat populations grow very slowly. Habitat loss and degradation is making it more difficult for bats to locate natural roost sites. Installing a bat house on your property can provide a safe environment for bats, while ridding your yard of pest insects, like mosquitoes, moths and beetles. Bat houses can be purchased, or you can build your own. MassWildlife offers instructions for building and installing a bat house and you can get that information online.
The Massachusetts woodcock season opened Oct. 1 and Laney and I have been checking out our local covers. Dinah, heading towards her 15th birthday, is still on the IR. The dry conditions have clearly had an impact on woodcock numbers and places that held birds in the spring have fewer birds or none at all. The lush understory and full foliage have made it difficult, but Laney has done her job. To be honest, my shooting has been pitiful but, in my defense, the woodcock are only visible for a few feet before they disappear into the leaves. It is no secret that my preference would be later seasons but with the days added by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the frameworks, there is both early and late hunting. Eventually, we will have that killing frost and wind and rain will finish the job. Apologies to those who wait all year to view the spectacular fall colors. To each his own!
Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, Counselor and Director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.