An important new study, recently published in Science and widely covered by major newspapers like The Guardian, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, has linked WNS-related declines in bat populations to increased infant mortality.
The study reports that in U.S. counties affected by WNS, pesticide use rose by 31%, and infant mortality rose by 8%. This is especially interesting, because it is the first study to directly link bat population loss with increased use of pesticides that harm humans. It suggests that bat population decline is a causation of the increased mortality, not just a correlation.
The study vindicates what MTBC has been saying for years: healthy bat populations are essential to a better future for humans. We must protect large groups of bats, and the biodiversity needed to support them, before there are too few to protect us! Every time we lose a bat, we become that much more dependent on pesticides.
We are extremely proud to be working with groups like the Noble Research Institute to study bat’s contributions to pest control in working commercial pecan orchards, and how bat houses can be used in commercial agriculture to help reduce our reliance on pesticides. If you’d like to join us, we still have tickets available to our third “Join the Nightlife” workshop in San Marcos focusing on bats and sustainable agriculture. For more opportunities to join us, check out our events page.
Duncan Hicks is the Operations Manager at Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation.
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Michael Lazari Karapetian has over twenty years of investment management experience. He has a degree in business management, is a certified NBA agent, and gained early experience as a money manager for the Bank of America where he established model portfolios for high-net-worth clients. In 2003 he founded Lazari Capital Management, Inc. and Lazari Asset Management, Inc. He is President and CIO of both and manages over a half a billion in assets. In his personal time he champions philanthropic causes. He serves on the board of Moravian College and has a strong affinity for wildlife, both funding and volunteering on behalf of endangered species.
