This article is over 5 years old

News

Texas Bats Are Getting Some Much Needed Help

Researchers are receiving funds to study a deadly epidemic among bats

Share

Researchers studying how to prevent White Nose Syndrome are receiving 1.3 million dollars in funding. The disease has become an epidemic among bats in the last decade, killing entire populations of bats in some places.

But why spend one-point-three million on bats?

According to Paul Phifer at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, bats provide an estimated over 3.7 billion dollars in pesticide services each year.

"And that's not only good for the economy,” he said, “it's good for the environment."

In Texas, bats provide a lot of help to corn and cotton farmers. Bats, among other animals, were part of rescue and rehabilitation efforts after Harvey.

The money, awarded in grants by public and private partners, will go to researchers all over the country. Researchers in Texas studying how manipulating bat's microclimates could help prevent the disease.

A representative from the Austin Bat Refuge holds a bat as it feeds on mealworms.

Listen

To embed this piece of audio in your site, please use this code:

<iframe src="https://embed.hpm.io/244377/244376" style="height: 115px; width: 100%;"></iframe>
X
Today in Houston Newsletter Signup
We're in the process of transitioning services for our Today in Houston newsletter. If you'd like to sign up now, fill out the form below and we will add you as soon as we finish the transition. **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. Your subscription will be migrated over.