UMaine study cited in Penobscot Bay Pilot article on bats
A study on bats being conducted by the University of Maine’s Department of Wildlife Ecology was mentioned in a Penobscot Bay Pilot article on the misconceptions surrounding the creatures. A single little brown bat, one of Maine’s eight species, can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour and can eat bugs that harm produce, saving the agricultural industry an estimated $23 billion a year, according to the article. Maine’s little brown bat has seen a 97 percent decline in population, and white nose syndrome has killed an estimated 6 million bats, the article states. “They are gentle creatures,” said Annie Kassler, one of four volunteers working in the field, collecting data for UMaine’s study. Using an iPad and an echolocation monitor, she is helping identify remaining bat colonies throughout the state.