LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish residents are encouraged to participate in bat colony monitoring as the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries surveys for white-nose syndrome.

White-nose syndrome and the fungus responsible are not a threat to humans, according to wildlife disease biologist Nikki Anderson, who is overseeing the program.

However, Wildlife and Fisheries said the disease has been responsible for more than six million bat deaths in the United States.

Residents who want to participate in bat monitoring or know the location of a roost are asked to contact Anderson at nanderson@wlf.la.gov or 225-765-5030.

Bats are vital to the local agriculture industry and can quickly become a farmer’s best friend by devouring harmful insects, according to Anderson. They are also key in seed dispersal and pollination worldwide.

Locally, bats tend to nest in man-made structures due to lack of caves.

“It’s estimated they save farmers billions annually in crop damage and reduced pesticide usage because of the insects they eat,’’ Anderson said. “They’re extremely beneficial. We don’t have any fruit bats or nectar feeding bats in Louisiana; all of our bat species consume insects.”

White-nose syndrome was discovered in New York between 2006 and 2007. The fungus that causes the disease, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has spread rapidly throughout the eastern United States.

Louisiana or Florida are the only two states in the eastern region where the fungus has not been documented, necessitating further study.

Louisiana is on the geographical leading edge of the disease spread. It was first detected in Arkansas and Mississippi between 2013 and 2014 and in Texas between 2016 and 2017.

“Since those first detections, it has continued to spread closer to Louisiana borders, increasing the potential for spread into the state,” Wildlife and Fisheries said in a press release.

The disease, named for the white fungus found on bats’ muzzles and wings, attacks hibernating bats.

Louisiana has 12 bat species in total, four of which have contracted white-nose syndrome in other parts of the country and four of which have been found with the fungus but not the disease.

For more information on white-nose disease, go to whitenosesyndrome.org.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit wlf.la.gov.

To receive recreational or commercial fishing email and text alerts, sign up at wlf.la.gov/signup.