Hope for Bats in the Fight Against White-nose Syndrome?

Stephen M. Vantassel, host of the Wildlife Control Consultant podcast, discusses research by Tonie E. Rocke that appears to provide some promise for helping bats resist the effects of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. The fungus called Pseudogymnoascus destructans is responsible for the deaths of millions of bats in the United States and Canada. The disease attacks the skin of bats causing them to wake up during hibernation, burning up precious calories needed to survive the insectless winter. Wildlife control professionals and pest control professionals should care about this research because bats comprise an important animal group in nature but also a significant revenue stream for many pest control companies and their vertebrate pest control counterparts. The orally administered raccoon poxvirus has shown that it can increase bat longevity 10x more than alternatives thereby giving us hope that a solution may be in sight.