New Hampshire Needs Your Help…Counting Bats?

We all know how easy it is to see a bat in your home, and reflexively chase or attack it because it might be a vampire. However, the New Hampshire Fish and Game is asking residents not to do so.

Instead, officials would like you to help them count the number of bats in the Granite State. According to the F&G, state’s two most common bat types, the little brown bat and the big brown bat (because I guess we offended the medium big bat) are known to live inside abandoned houses, church steeples and barns, and even homes – and the state wants you to keep track of their colonies.

How can you help? Simply count the number of bats exiting their roosts at dusk this June. Then, repeat the same exercise later in the summer to see how mating has caused the number to grow.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Isn’t it kind of creepy to stand outside with a pen and paper and keep track of bats hooking up?” Absolutely. But it’s also important to help officials track the bat population, as bats also help control the insect population.

Click here to see how you can take part in the study.

Specifically, wildlife experts are concerned about the effect White Nose Syndrome could be having on bats (not noise – nose). This refers to a fungal disease spreading among rats at a rapid pace, possibly to the point of endangerment. According to WhiteNoseSyndrome.org, the disease was first discovered around 2006 or 2007.

So, help the New Hampshire Fish and Game by keeping track of bats this summer. I could be a fun activity if you have kids. And if nothing else, you’ll look a lot smarter than this family from Ireland (sound NSFW).