Battling White Nose Syndrome

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Scientists need our help

White nose syndrome, a disease that affects hibernating bat populations, has been spreading across the state of Texas in recent months. The disease has become so bad in some areas that scientists are now asking for the publics help in solving the issue. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has begun accepting ideas to fight white-nose syndrome. If an idea is picked as one of the most promising, that person could win up to $20,000 and work with scientists to test it out.

Recently, a woman in Texas found a bat trapped in the web of what appeared to be a yellow garden spider outside of her home. Female yellow garden spiders can grow to about inch in body length but are not known to have bats in their diets. Bats can be at risk of flying into the webs of spiders if they are large enough and can get themselves stuck.

What is White-Nose Syndrome?

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a hibernating bat disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd for short. Pd can appear on bats’ faces as a white fuzz, it’s how the infection got its name. Pd thrives in cold, dark, and damp environments. It attacks bats’ bare skin while they are hibernating and otherwise inactive. Pd causes changes in bats as it grows, causing them to become more active than usual and burn fat that they’ll need to survive the winter. White-nose syndrome causes bats to behave strangely, such as flying outside during the day in the winter.

For tips on bat removal, check out The Critter Squad Inc.

Idea To Save Bats From White-Nose Syndrome? The Government Wants It!

White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has decimated bat populations, is spreading in Texas. Scientists are trying everything from vaccines to UV lights to control the disease. Now, they’re asking the public for help.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has started accepting ideas to fight white-nose syndrome. If your idea is picked as one of the most promising, you could win up to $20,000 and work with scientists to test it out. Learn more

Summary: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has begun accepting ideas to fight white-nose syndrome. If an idea is picked as one of the most promising, that person could win up to $20,000 and work with scientists to test it out.

Bat found trapped in massive spider’s web

Annette Alaniz Guajardo snapped some pretty incredible photos of a bat trapped in what appears to be the web of a yellow garden spider outside her home in Poteet.

“So these are the kind of things you see happen in Brazil, Thailand, or some kind of foreign jungle place like that, but this was outside of Annette Alaniz Guajardo house in POTEET TEXAS,” Guajardo’s friend said on Facebook.

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Summary: Recently, a woman in Texas found a bat trapped in the web of what appeared to be a yellow garden spider outside of her home. Yellow garden spiders are not known to feed on bats.