What's one of the best ways to protect Minnesota’s bat populations?
Stay out of caves.
By entering a cave, someone may unknowingly spread WNS to other bat habitats. The fungus that causes WNS can survive for years on clothing and shoes. This cave-dwelling fungus grows on the skin of affected bats and slowly starves them to death.
By entering a cave, someone will directly harm the bats by waking them from deep sleep. WNS causes sick bats to wake frequently during hibernation. This forces them to use important energy needed to last the winter.
What else can people do to support bat populations?
- Stay out of bat habitats
- Report unusual bat activity and roost sightings to the DNR
- Learn about Minnesota’s bat conservation efforts
- Support scientific conservation efforts
- Learn to safely remove bats from unwanted spaces
- Use dark sky friendly lighting
- Build a bat house in your backyard
- Support insect biodiversity by planting pollinator habitats
- Avoid pesticides
Pictured: Frozen bat in Minnesota cave. Photo courtesy of Christine Salomon.