Current status of white-nosed syndrome in bats?
I posted this in the birder's group (yes, I know bats are mammals, not birds--but there's no "mammals" group) and afterwards realized this might be a more logical spot to put it. I'm hoping for some good news:
Since moving into an old Victorian house in a small town 24 years ago, we've marked spring not with the return of the robins, but with the return of a large nursing colony of little brown bats. Originally they lived in our attic, but, as the colony grew and more started sneaking into the living areas we set up bat boxes in the backyard and sealed the attic. They've been thriving in the bat boxes for a number of years, and on summer evenings we could sit in the backyard and watch them exit the boxes and swarm the neighborhood. Until last year--- when out of hundreds and hundreds of little brown bats, only about 15-20 returned. This small remainder of the colony didn't stay long either. After a few weeks they just disappeared from our boxes. We're jazzing up the boxes this year and cutting down a tree that was casting shade on the boxes (the nursing bats like it warm) in hopes of improving the habitat.
We're aware of the "white-nose syndrome" which has been decimating bat colonies, but we were hoping our colony would be ok. I'm wondering how many, if any, will return this spring. This just has me so depressed.
So my question is, does anyone know if the white-nose syndrome has peaked? Are the bat populations in the recovery stage yet? I've googled and haven't found an answer. Info appreciated!
