There are many good sources of information available about bats and WNS. Here are some categories to help you find information you’re looking for.
Media Links: these are links to stories published in the mainstream media about bats and WNS.
WNS Research: these are links to articles in scientific journals describing ongoing WNS research.
Bat Education Resources: these are links to resources you can use to present a program on bats and their role in our ecosystem.
WNS Education and Outreach: these are links to brochures, posters, and other information about WNS that you can print out and distribute in your community.
The Battle for Bats: White Nose Syndrome from Ravenswood Media on Vimeo.
If you know about a link we should add to any of these sections, please let us know!
Is there any way to buy a few bats to start a colony? I have a bat house in my backyard, but no bats.
You may want to do a bit of research on bat houses, it can take awhile to establish a colony in a newly hung bat house, depending on the time of year you installed it. There are a few specifics you need to know when hanging a bat house, for example, it needs to maintain a certain internal temperature without getting overly hot, so you will want to use a water based paint of a predetermined color based on your location. Bat houses need to be hung at least 12 – 20 feet off of the ground, it should receive at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight, and be within proximity to water. You can look at Batcon.org for useful tips on hanging a bat house. The TN Bat Working Group has some helpful links and information for bat houses as well.
Purchasing native wildlife, even for the purpose of starting a bat colony for conservation purposes, is illegal. Most wildlife rehabilitators can’t even get permits to rehab bats because a small percent of the population has been shown to carry rabies. Hope that helps. Good luck!