Having problems with message search?
I've talked to Greg Turner from the PA Game Commission about the possibility of WNV pesticides causing the bats to be susceptible to this fungus. He was concerned that the use of resmethrin (Scourge) in NY could possibly be playing a role by somehow lowering the bats immune system. The WNV program in PA has not used Scourge so it will be interesting to find out if PA bats come down with the fungus. Resmethrin is also a product that's been on the market for years so the question would be, why would the bats be turning up with the fungus now if resmethrin is the causative agent.
As we all know, we really do very little adulticiding in PA. I don't know what the recently introduced pesticides, "including those released to stop West Nile virus" are that the article refers to. Obviously the WNV program is reducing a food source for the bats but as an opportunistic feeder, you would think that bats would just find a new food source. Our treatments, whether larviciding or adulticing are very localized and one would assume there would be plenty of alternative foods for bats to prey upon.
This seems to be another mystery disease like the colony collapse of honeybees. Hopefully an answer will be found in the near future that doesn't directly implicate mosquito pesticide usage. DEP always supports sound IMM strategies, pesticides playing an important role in that strategy but we also want to minimize the impacts on nontarget organisms.
Andy Kyle
-----Original Message-----
From: PVCA@yahoogroups.com [mailto:PVCA@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Russell, Benjamin
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 12:16 PM
To: pvca@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [PVCA] FW: NY Times - Bats Perish, and No One Knows Why
-----Original Message-----
From: Louise M Bugbee [mailto:lmb19@...]
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 12:13 PM
To: brussell@state.pa.us
Subject: bat article
Hi Ben,
Here is link to a very interesting article from today's NYT about
bats...also makes reference to pesticide use to combat WN...I am not
sure how to post it on the PVCA list serve...I think it might be of
interest to the group, could you please post it? thanks, Louise
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/ 03/25/science/ 25bats.html? th&emc=th
Louise M. Bugbee
WNV Coordinator
Lehigh County Cooperative Extension
4184 Dorney Park Rd.
Allentown, Pa 18104
lmb19@...
phone:(610)366-8345
fax: (610)391-0683
Send Email
