Help Protect Bats and Their Habitats​

The Division of Wildlife uses information from Bat Acoustic Survey Monitoring to help track our bat species, population rates and document the progression of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS).  Sadly, signs of WNS has officially shown up far west in the state of Washington as of 2016.

​Find out up-to-date information about White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), the deadly disease that affects North American bats by cilcking on the black box below. Extensive groups of state, federal, tribal, university, and non-governmental partners are helping minimize the impacts of White-Nose Syndrome.  They also need our help!  #Save the Bats​

2016 White-Nose Syndrome Updates and Ocurrences

Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Contact Information:
www.whitenosesyndrome.org/partner/ohio-department-natural-resources

In the winter of 2006-07, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation found approximately 10,000 bats of the genus Myotis (little brown bats, M. lucifugus, and Indiana bats, M. sodalis) dead and dying in four caves in New York. Since 2006, White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) has killed millions of bats in eastern North America, including several Myotis species, Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored bat), and Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat). 
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In March 2011, the first Ohio case of WNS was confirmed in an abandoned mine in Lawrence County, Ohio. Several counties in Ohio have been confirmed as WNS positive, including Lawrence County in 2011, 5 counties were added in 2012 (Geauga, Summit, Cuyahoga, Portage, and Preble), and 10 counties added in 2013 (Medina, Jefferson, Union, Wayne, Ashland, Athens, Clinton, Madison, Warren, and Sandusky).
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Updates on WNS in the State of Washington:
wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/wns/​

www.whitenosesyndrome.org/news/deadly-bat-fungus-washington-state-likely-originated-eastern-us​

Battle For Bats: Surviving White Nose Syndrome from Ravenswood Media on Vimeo.

Bats Truly Need Our Help:  

• Contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources/Division of Wildlife immediately if you suspect you have seen bats with this WNS condition in Ohio.  Learn who to contact in one's owns state:  https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/
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• Do not handle live bats.  Contact:   1-800-WILDLIFE                                                           Ohio Department of Natural Resources
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• Report the bat or the groups of bats that you suspect with WNS.  This information will help others understand our bat populations and White-Nose Syndrome. 
  
  
• Do not spread White-Nose Syndrome  and limit disturbance to roosting bats. Avoid entering areas where bats may be living to limit the potential of transmitting the fungus that causes the disease and disturbing vulnerable bats.  Do not allow dogs to access areas where bats may be roosting or overwintering as they may act as carriers of the fungus to new sites. 
  
  
• Clean your clothing and gear if you come into contact with crevices in rock cliffs, talus areas, caves or mines. When possible use the decontamination guidelines at www.whitenosesyndrome.org.
  
  
• Improve bat habitats.  Reduce lighting around your home, minimize tree clearing, and protect streams and wetlands. Try to incorporate one or more snags into your landscape keeping old and damaged trees when possible. Snags provide important habitat for bats and other backyard wildlife. For more information on living with bats, and instructions for how to build a bat house, visit:  ocvn.osu.edu/news/please-help-our-ohio-bats-make-ready-bat-friendly-houses-roosts-springsummer-occupancy

Devouring 1,000 Mosquitoes nightly; Bats are now welcome guests as "Zika Fears Rise":   www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/nyregion/devouring-1000-mosquitoes-an-hour-bats-are-now-welcome-guests-as-zika-fears-rise.html?_r=0​

Build a Bat Roost WildOhio Video

Why should you put up a bat house?
Bat houses benefit bats, you, your family, communities, farmers, gardeners
and ​the ecosystem as a whole.

• Bat houses provide bats a home.  In turn, bats will eat thousands of insects.
• Bat houses give bats an alternative to our houses.  Thus, reducing the chance of human-to-bat contact.
• Bat populations have decreased significantly (especially with White Nose Syndrome) and bat houses can help provide secure habitat. 

Why Bat Houses Are Important

See Additional Bat House Designs:

wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/birds%20and%20birding/pub419.pdf​​

www.batcon.org/pdfs/bathouses/FourChamberNurseryHousePlans.pdf​

www.batweek.org/files/Single_chamber_bat_house_instructions.pdf​

www.eparks.org/pdf/batbox.pdf

Why do some bat houses fail?

—Bat Facts:
​Over 1,000 Species Worldwide
—45 species native to U. S.
—11 species in Ohio (2016)
—The only true flying mammal
—Primarily nocturnal, but most times can be seen flying about in the early evening (crepuscular)

Teachable Moments:
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​The Save Lucy Campaign was created to raise awareness of White-Nose Syndrome
​and its devastating impact on North American Bats.

The Save Lucy Campaign

Creatures of the Night
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The Order name ‘Chiroptera’ means “hand-wing”
—Order Chiroptera =“hand wing”
—Megachiroptera =“large “bats:  Found in tropics - —large fruit bats/flying foxes
—Microchiroptera =“small” bats:  all bats in U.S.
—Varied diets and ID characteristics

askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/bats​

www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/white-nose_syndrome/Battle_for_Bats.pdf​

www.youtube.com/channel/UCMnhyLXrhchXNk22V2fSRTw

Bat and Moth Game

www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/bat_crisis_white-nose_syndrome/index.html​

www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-bats-echolocate-an/​

askabiologist.asu.edu/echolocation​