Thermal image of bats in flight, taken by researchers at Boston University, in their attempts to understand how bats respond to differences in weather, climate, and bug activity when it comes to navigation. 

According to the United State Geological Survey, bats save farmers at least $3 billion a year by scarfing down insects that would otherwise eat crops. But bats are threatened by white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that kills them, as well as by deadly collisions with wind turbines. 

Researchers estimate that the loss of one million bats in the Northeast alone has probably resulted in between 660 and 1320 metric tons fewer insects being eaten by bats each year. Now that’s scarier than blood-red bats any day.

Science Shields Bats from Wind-Turbine Accidents

Researchers have developed an interactive tool that uses bat calls and local environmental conditions to help wind farms reduce bat fatalities while still running efficiently.

Bat activity depends on the time of year and a number of environmental factors, such as wind direction and speed, moon phase and air temperature, according to researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station. The new tool allows users to visualize the probability of bat presence based on changes in date and weather conditions.

Using devices to detect bats’ echolocation calls, the researchers linked the presence of bats to weather conditions measured on-site. The results showed that multiple echolocation detectors were required to accurately characterize bat activity.

The study also showed that echolocation detectors placed at 72 feet and 170 feet (22 meters and 52 meters) above ground were more effective at characterizing migratory bat activity than those closer to the ground. The researchers used these findings to help build the interactive tool, which can be found on the PSW website.

“Properly deployed echolocation monitoring can be an effective way to predict bat activity and, presumably, fatalities at wind-energy facilities,” Weller says. “These days, pre-construction echolocation monitoring is as common as meteorological monitoring at wind-energy facilities, so the basic building blocks for these models are available at most proposed sites.”

The study authors note that bat migration patterns are still poorly understood and that further research is being conducted regarding the relationship between wind turbines and bat activity.