There are many ways that you, personally, can help bats. Helping bats starts on an individual level. Bats face so many threats and making sure you do your part is an important part of stewarding a healthy world.
If you are a caver or someone who explores caves, observe cave closures, cave advisories and research how to properly decontaminate your gear to make sure WNS has not attached to it. Do not use the same clothes and gear if you can help it to cave if you have caved in an affected area (NH Department of Fish and Game). Even if you do not see a sign around telling you to stay out of the cave or mine, do not go in during winter if you can help it. Disturbing the few bats NH has left may only lead to more death.
Take care of the bats on your property! Do not exclude bats from your barn or attic unless you absolutely have to, and if you must, do not do so between mid-May-August. This is when baby bats are being born, and excluding the colony at this time will kill the pups as their mothers abandon them. Bats in NH depend on human zones for roosting since we do not have enough viable roosting areas for a lot of bats (NH Department of Fish and Game).
Additionally, you can help out state biologists if you know you have a colony of either big brown bats or little brown bats by reporting them in a survey found on the NH Department of Fish and Game website or at this link.
If you are able, don't tear down that dead tree on your property! Many bat species either prefer or singularly roost in decaying trees. If the tree does not pose a safety/property concern, leaving it up for bats to roost in offers them a secure roosting habitat.
Don't use pesticides! Bats are natural pest controllers and decreasing their prey supply only hurts them more. Pesticides can also poison bats, even organic ones.
Keep cats indoors. Cat attacks are one of the most common causes of bat casualties. If you cat finds a bat, it could also learn where the roost is located and injure bats (Bat Conservation International).
Building a bat box is another great way to protect bats and help make more habitat (Bat Conservation International). This link is a four-chambered box, which helps foster pups, and this link is a rocket box, which helps support a large number of bats. Visit this link for specifications on what bat boxes should look like, what materials should be used, and what color they should be painted, as well as where to hang them. You can also look for more bat box plans online or buy a box, but make sure it meets these specifications.
Finally, donations into further research of WNS and bat habitat conservation are great ways to help bats. The NH Department of Fish and Game are asking for donations that partly support research into possible treatments for WNS. Check out this link to donate to them. Bat Conservation International also asks for donations to help protect bat habitats and research WNS. Check out this link to donate to them. Helping bats starts with education and information- so I encourage you to do your own research to help you better understand bat and the value they have in our world.
Thanks for reading! Make sure you also check out my infographic on the main page to learn tons more about NH's bats and what threatens them.
Works Consulted
New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game. “Bats of New Hampshire.” New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, www.wildlife.state.nh.us/nongame/bats-nh.html.
New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game. “White-Nose Syndrome: A New Threat to New Hampshire's Bats.” New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, www.wildlife.state.nh.us/nongame/white-nose-syndrome.html
“Bat Houses.” Bat Conservation International, 10 Mar. 2021, www.batcon.org/about-bats/bat-houses/.
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