If you're looking for a spot to explore with the spooky spirit of Halloween, then consider a trip to a dark, narrow passage of rocks that could bring you face-to-face with bats.

Local bat populations are getting attention in the Phoenix area due to a recent mosquito surge ahead of Halloween.

Each night around sunset, in one of the most upscale parts of the city, the bats get ready to fly. They’re Mexican free-tailed bats, a small species found up and down North, Central and South America.

Flying mammals of the night have been under threat of white-nose syndrome in the U.S. for years. Oklahoma researchers are ...