Bat die-off led to more insecticide use and rise in infant deaths in US.

The decline of bats in the US due to a fungal disease has had significant consequences. Farmers in counties affected by the bat disease increased their use of insecticides by 31% to compensate for the reduction in insect predation by bats. This led to a loss of $27 billion for farmers between 2006 and 2017. Additionally, there was an 8% rise in infant deaths in affected counties, which the researcher attributes to the increase in insecticide use. However, another expert suggests that the loss of income and increased stress in farming communities may also contribute to infant mortality. [Extracted from the article]