Photo: Eversource
EASTHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Eversource is teaming up with the National Park Service to help save the dwindling bat population on the National Seashore, one bat house at a time.
Volunteers were busy Wednesday building the small bat houses, which give the endangered creatures shelter and a habitat to flourish in.
"We're building bat boxes for their homes," Eversource Manager of Environmental Permitting Denise Bartone said. "Cape Cod has about eight species of bats and about four of them are endangered." Bats are crucial pollinators and keep pests at bay.
One bat can eat 1,000 mosquitos in a single evening. What's more, studies from the U.S. Geological Survey have found bats save farmers billions each year by shielding their crops from hungry insects.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has found that human activity and a fungal disease called 'white-nose syndrome' are the major contributing factors to the decline of the bat population. In fact, according to their recent data, more than 5 million bats have lost their lives due to these factors since 2006.
According to Massachusetts officials, research is currently underway to better understand white-nose syndrome, but there is no way to effectively treat or prevent the illness.
WBZ NewsRadio's Jay Willett (@JayWillettWbz) reports: