Alternate method of WNS traveling from Europe to N. America

[BrianC]

pon examination it was found that the fungus had finally started affecting Gypsy Moths in large numbers. Once it had started affecting wild moths in noticeable numbers it spread rapidly...but it took 80 years before it was even detected or signs of it affecting moths noticed. All this on a species of moth that was being intensively studied during that time..

Are the Gypsy moths endangered now? CBD needs to spend time there not here!

[tncaver]

http://www.caves.org/WNS/WNS_StatusMap_20090407_Hibernacula.pdf
If you look at the bat habitat in the map you will see that this didn't just happen, WNS is following the bats!

Brian,
I agree. That map definitely shows WNS is following the migratory path of the bats. Why is that so hard for "educated" lawyers and conservationists
to see? The evidence looks so simple and basic that even a caveman could figure it out. Did I really say that?
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it smart enough to drink.

[wyandottecaver]

hewhocaves...your late I already posted elsewhere the scenario where the "smoking gun" for human transport will be a WNS affected bat being transported by mistake several states away in a commercial shipment.

It doesn't necessarily have to be a bat. WNS Bats in PA use trees for summer roosts...they wedge themselves tightly under the bark and poo... spreading fungus and spores.....tree gets cut down in early fall and thrown in lumber yard....bark and outer layer of wood gets shaved off to make square boards....this waste then ends up as mulch in a nice moist bag shipped to MIssouri where a landowner covers his bushes for the winter...fungus overwinters deep in the mulch pile never freezing due to heat from decomposition...come spring bats return to batbox on tree over bushes surrrounded by WNS infested mulch....

Of course this all assumes WNS does not require bat to bat proximity to spread (which is being field tested now).....

[hewhocaves]

yeah i realize im not on the cutting edge of this, just a little ahead of the curve. and yeah, i agree that bat migrations more easily account for the spread. the point is that the more options thrown out there, the more it becomes apparent to lawmakers that this is not as simple as they are being led to believe.

[wyandottecaver]

TN,

they can see and read maps just fine. They choose to interpret what they see to suit their agenda. Since every county between Howe Caverns and Southern VA doesnt have a "confirmed" WNS cave, then obviously WNS is skipping around due to cavers....its just coincidence it has never made big skips too large for bats (who also skip around). Finally, there just arent the resources available to agencies to check every known cave in every county....(especially when the USFWS says stay out)

Besides, if you say humans arent an important vector, then stopping them from caving doesnt make sense, and THEN what do you hold up as your plan for WNS?...I mean you gotta have a plan, whether it works or not is immaterial.

[tncaver]

yeah i realize im not on the cutting edge of this, just a little ahead of the curve. and yeah, i agree that bat migrations more easily account for the spread. the point is that the more options thrown out there, the more it becomes apparent to lawmakers that this is not as simple as they are being led to believe.

Just think how little the average lawmaker knows about bats and caves. They are ripe for being fed misinformation and not even realizing it. The question
is, who is doing the feeding? CBD? Or....? Our job is to feed them FACTS. Actually, I think as more information comes to the forefront, the truth becomes
more and more simple to figure out. There are curveballs I suppose, but nothing that shouldn't stop a good batter from hitting a home run. There are some
great batters in the NSS. The hard part seems to be getting them up to the plate to hit that homerun.

[hewhocaves]

TN,

they can see and read maps just fine. They choose to interpret what they see to suit their agenda. Since every county between Howe Caverns and Southern VA doesnt have a "confirmed" WNS cave, then obviously WNS is skipping around due to cavers....its just coincidence it has never made big skips too large for bats (who also skip around). Finally, there just arent the resources available to agencies to check every known cave in every county....(especially when the USFWS says stay out)

Besides, if you say humans arent an important vector, then stopping them from caving doesnt make sense, and THEN what do you hold up as your plan for WNS?...I mean you gotta have a plan, whether it works or not is immaterial.

Ah yes, suffering from "politician's logic".

1. We must do something.
2. This is something.
3. Therefore we must do it.

as seen in the awesomely prescient television show "Yes Minister".

[dfcaver]

Just don't stand there - spend something!