For Halloween, state will count bats

White-nose Syndrome, and Jennifer Kindel and Mary Bunch are seeking the permission of South Carolinians who have caves and old mines on their property.  The Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) will conduct annual hibernating bat counts and testing bats and their hibernation locations for the fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome (WNS). Focal counties this year will include Abbeville, Anderson, Calhoun, Cherokee, Greenville, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Richland, Spartanburg, Union and York.  WNS is a disease that has devastated bat populations since it was first documented in New York 10 years ago, spreading southwest across the United States and killing around six million bats in North America so far.  SCDNR has been mapping the spread of the disease since it was found in Pickens County in 2013. Since then it has also been found in Oconee and Richland counties, and this past winter a cave less than two miles away from Anderson County tested positive for WNS. Many more South Carolina counties could potentially be harboring WNS, so with the public’s help can DNR is confident it can determine how far this disease has spread and monitor the survival of beneficial bats. Bats are a major consumer of insects such as mosquitoes, beetles, and other forest and agricultural pests. Not only are the 14 species of bats in South Carolina are an integral part of the ecosystem, they are a major contributor to our economy. According to a study in 2011, bats provided an annual pest suppression service of $115 million to South Carolina’s agricultural industry, totaling $22.9 billion nationwide. With the use of fewer pesticides, they also help reduce the impact of these chemicals on many other wildlife species that call South Carolina home. Though WNS does not affect humans, mortality rates in bats have reached up to 90 and 100 percent and caused species such as the little brown bat to become locally extinct from key northeastern hibernation sites. If you are interested in having your cave or old mine tested for WNS, or would simply like more information, contact Jennifer Kindel at [email protected] or (864) 419-0739. For the latest news on White-nose Syndrome, visit http://dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/bats/batswns.html. If you would like to learn more about bats and count them as they emerge from their boxes at sunset, please consider joining SCDNR and Sunrift Adventures in their first annual Halloween Bat Count on Sunday, Oct 30 at 5:30 pm at Sunrift Adventures, 1 Center Street, Travelers Rest.