North America's most common bat, the little brown myotis, may be all
but extinct in the northeastern United States in 16 years, due to a
rapidly-spreading fungal infection, according to a story in Live Science.
The fungus, called the white-nosed syndrome grows on the exposed skin of bats as they hibernate.
If infection continues at current rates, the researchers reported in the
journal Science, there is a 99-percent chance the little brown myotis
population will drop below 0.01 percent of its current numbers by 2026.
So, why am I posting this - and how does this matter to you and your pets. These bats eats lots of insect, LOTS! Mosquitoes are on the menu of this bat.
According to parisitologsits from the Companion Animal Parasite Council, right now because of mosquito abatement programs being cut years ago and weather conditions, and depletion of mosquito predators - we're being overwhelmed by mosquitoes.
West Nile is apparently on the rise, and it could be that (without protection) pets getting heartworm disease is up as well. Do we really want more mosquitoes? There are even reports of dengue fever in Florida.
Bats actually are our friends, mosquitoes are responsible for killing more humans than any other creature on the planet (except humans).
