Something
is terribly wrong here.
Three of the world's greatest pollinators --
the creatures that are actually responsible
for spreading pollen so plants can grow -- are
slowly disappearing right before your eyes.
First it was the bees. Then the birds. Now the
bats.
What's next?
The current bat die-off is already being
called the most serious threat to North
American bats since the beginning of recorded
history. In New York, up to 90 percent of the
bats hibernating in four caves and mines have
died since last winter, and more bats are
thought to have died at 15 other New York
sites, and also in Massachusetts and Vermont.
Biologists believe that up to half a million
bats could ultimately be lost, which would
have a major impact on the upcoming growing
season.
Bats are Necessary for Crops to Thrive
The common image of bats acting as pests,
flying in your hair or trying to suck your
blood are, of course, just myths. One of the
biggest fears many have about bats -- rabies
-- is also completely unfounded, as bat rabies
cause just one human death per year in the
United States, according to Bat Conservation
International.
In reality, bats are a great friend to the
environment, helping to pollinate wild plants,
disperse fruit seeds, and keep insect
populations under control.
Bats are also used strategically by organic
farmers as a natural means for pest control,
as one small bat can eat up to 2,000
mosquitoes in one night. So you can imagine
how mosquitoes and other bugs will multiply
without bats to keep them in check.
Other Pollinators are Also Disappearing
As I said earlier, the problem of disappearing
bats is magnified because other North American
pollinators, namely birds and bees, are also
on the decline.
According to a report by the National Audubon
Society, for instance, the numbers of some
species of birds have plummeted by 60 percent
to 80 percent. And as of April 2007, 25
percent of all bee colonies in 27 U.S. states
had died.
The growing absence of these necessary
creatures is signaling a silent alarm bell
about the state of our ecosystem. Even the
U.S. Department of Agriculture is calling it
an "impending pollination crisis."
Something is throwing things off balance, and,
little by little, nature is dying. Eventually,
it will no longer be a gradual occurrence, but
rather like when you put a stick into a
turning bicycle wheel, everything will
abruptly come to a halt, and likely fall.
What's Killing Off the Bees, Birds and
Bats?
Nobody knows for sure. And my guess is that it
is not one thing but rather an accumulation of
things such as:
*
Pesticides and other environmental toxins
* Cell phones and information-carrying radio
waves
* Genetically modified crops
In the case
of bats, new pesticides that are designed
specifically to fight West Nile Virus are also
likely culprits. These pesticides kill
mosquitoes, and bats need mosquitoes to
survive. As a telling sign, bats that have
been found dead appeared to have died from
starvation, as their fat stores were largely
depleted.
There is also a sign that something is
altering their behavior, as bats have been
found flying during the winter and during the
day, while they should have been hibernating.
Can Life Go on Without the Birds and the
Bees (and the Bats)?
Not for long, no. One-third of the U.S. food
supply is dependent on the pollination from
bees alone, and without bats or birds, the
food supply as you know it would be long gone.
Is there anything you can do?
Well, on a local level, yes. I would suggest
contacting your town's city officials to
protest spraying the area with pesticides to
combat West Nile Virus. Next, if you have a
backyard, consider putting up a couple of bat
houses, a bird feeder, and a bird bath, then
planting some flowers that attract bees, such
as:
* Basil,
rosemary, sage and thyme
* Lavender
* Geraniums
* Sunflowers
* Verbena
* Zinnias
* Bee balm
* Cosmos
These are
small steps, but no contribution is too small
when it comes to our one and only environment.
