Deadly Fungus Plagues One of Iowa’s Most Important Animals

This is a really big deal. I know most people do NOT like bats. In fact, most people want nothing to do with them. Whether it's for preconceived notions about rabies, getting caught in your hair, or just being genuinely creepy (blood-sucking vampires, anyone?), our furry, flying "friends" are having a rough go with massive drops in population, all because of a nasty fungus. And that does not bode well for those of us who despise mosquitoes and other flying insects. Trust me, I'd rather take the bats.

Why's Everything Going "Batty" for Our Iowa Bats?

Across Iowa, and most of North America, bats are under attack by something that could come straight out of a horror movie. It’s called White-nose Syndrome (WNS), and while it sounds harmless, it’s anything but.

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WNS is caused by a fungus named Pseudogymnoascus destructans or Pd. This cold-loving fungus grows on bats while they hibernate in caves or other dark places. It invades their skin, especially the hairless parts like their noses and wings, and throws their whole nervous system out of whack.

Here's how. Imagine trying to sleep all winter and your body keeps waking you up because it thinks it’s starving to death. That’s basically what happens to infected bats. The fungus messes with their metabolism, burns up their fat stores, and causes them to wake up and fly around in the dead of winter looking for bugs. And guess what? There are none around. No food means no energy and certain death. It's devastating. Have you ever seen or read Stephen King's Thinner?

Why Should You Care About Our Bats?

Let’s put it simply: bats are THE pest control ninjas. And they're dang good at it! According to Iowa State University Outreach and Extension, every summer night, a single bat can eat hundreds to thousands of insects. They help protect crops by eating beetles and moths, and they help you stay disease-free by reducing the mosquito populations. In fact, bats save U.S. farmers an estimated $3.7 billion a year just by doing what they do best: eating bugs.

With WNS wiping out whole colonies, some bat species have seen population drops of more than 90% in less than a decade, according to the USGS. Essentially, our bats are now vanishing, and if they disappear completely, we’ll feel it. We're talking rising pesticide use, crop losses, and a whole lot of "extra" mosquitoes.

Iowa’s Bats in Trouble

Here in Iowa, nine species of bats call our forests, fields, caves, and neighborhoods home. Two of those bats, the Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat, are now federally listed due to WNS and habitat loss. Several others, like the little brown bat and tri-colored bat, are heading down that same path now.

These bats typically hibernate in caves, mines, and even attics during the winter, making them prime targets for the Pd fungus. Once the fungus invades, it spreads fast. Wildlife biologists have found that in some areas, WNS can wipe out entire bat populations in just a few years.

Even worse, there’s no cure for WNS. However, scientists across the world are working on it. In the meantime, ordinary, everyday people like you and me can help. Avoid disturbing bats during hibernation (that means no poking around in caves between October and March), follow decontamination procedures if you ever go spelunking, and consider putting up a bat house to provide some safe summer roosts (and keep them out of your attic).

You can also join local efforts like bat monitoring events to help scientists track bat populations. Bonus, you get to tell people you spent the evening counting bats under the stars. It’s cooler than it sounds, and you've got an opportunity to do it right here in Dubuque. On May 16th, you can head to Swiss Valley Nature Center beginning at 7:30 PM and help count bats as they emerge from their roosts.

Look, I get it, bats might not win any popularity contests, but they’re absolutely essential for us in Iowa. If we let a tiny fungus take out one of our state's most effective natural pest control systems, we’ll be the ones suffering. So next time you see a bat fluttering at dusk, maybe don’t run for cover. Instead, give it a quiet little cheer. That bat might be saving your life and keeping your evening bug-free.