Officials Are Asking NH Residents To Do A 'Bat Count'

NEW HAMPSHIRE — New Hampshire officials are asking residents to help biologists in their study of bat populations by hosting a "bat count" this summer, the New Hampshire Fish and Game announced on its website.

The state's two most common bat species, the little brown bat and the big brown bat, often use buildings like houses, barns, and charge steeples as their summer roosts as summer homes, officials said.

"We ask that you count bats as they exit their summer roost at dusk in June, then again later in the summer to see how the colony has grown as pups begin flying," officials wrote. "Monitoring these maternity colonies can give biologists a good idea of how bat populations in an area are doing from year to year."

Officials explained that it is more important now than ever to monitor bat colonies with the occurrence of White Nose Syndrome, which according to the National Park Service is a fungal disease killing bats in North America. The disease gets its name from the visible white fungal growth on infected bats’ muzzles and wings.

To learn how to conduct a bat count and submit your findings, visit the New Hampshire Fish and Game's website.