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How to Help Bats in SC… We Hope

In 2011, I wrote about White Nose Syndrome, and what people can do to help. We knew then it was only a matter of time before the deadly bat disease turned up in South Carolina.

On March 11th, 2013, DNR reported that Table Rock State Park near Pickens is the location of South Carolina’s first confirmed WNS case. We feel so heartbroken that summer evenings may become bat free in the near future.

Photo Caption: Here I am holding a northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) during a bat trapping study. Around that time, the science group I participated with found big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), tri-color bats (Perimyotis subflavus), eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) and northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) in Greenville, SC’s Paris Mountain State Park. At least 4 of those species may succumb to White Nose Syndrome and disappear from the area.

We’re still hoping scientists will come up with a way to restore the bat population, but it isn’t looking good.

~Eliza

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Eliza Lord

I'm a Greenville, SC native (the Appalachian foothills) who wears the hats of Greenville Master Gardener & Upstate Master Naturalist. I love to write about food and sustainability.

2 thoughts on “How to Help Bats in SC… We Hope”

  1. Julie - March 13, 2013 3:37 pm

    So, so sad! I’ve never understood why people fear bats–they are amazing creatures. We’ve been anxiously awaiting the return of ‘Luna,’ our bat friend, to return to her box. We love watching the bats in our neighborhood and yard. Just devastating. :-( Thanks for the info.
    Julie´s last blog post ..Perfect Peas…You Can Grow That!

  2. Curbstone Valley Farm - March 14, 2013 10:28 pm

    I dread WNS ending up here. We have so many bats here, and I love seeing them every night as the last light fades after sunset. Some nights they skim around the edge of the gutters on the house (we have a single level ranch), and on occasion we’ve had some minor human-bat collisions as they’re hunting so low. It is truly heartbreaking to see these bat populations getting devastated :'( I hope this doesn’t hit your area too hard.
    Curbstone Valley Farm´s last blog post ..Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)

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