Those batty creatures do more than set a spooky mood Halloween. They eat insects, like those pesky mosquitos and gnats. One bat can eat hundreds of mosquitos in a single hour.
A great effect of this means less pesticides used on our food and farms.
Bats eat more than thier weight each night in insects. If the colony is in the right area, it can protect the crops from damaging pests. This saves the farmers from spending money and taking the risks of using pesticides on their crops, which later become our food and products.
In Kern County we produce: Carrots, Cotton, Corn, Milk, Alfalfa, Melons, Grapes, Lettuce, Oranges, Lemons, Grapefruit, Tomatoes, Almonds, Pistachios, Cantaloupe, Roses....
Bats will eat many of the pests affecting these crops such as the melon fruit fly, lacewing flies, and european moths.
In mathematical terms:
150 big brown bats - (33 million rootworm larvae + cucumber beetles) = Millions of dollars and produce saved
Most importantly, bats help protect us from West Nile Virus. West Nile is a dangerous pathogen that affects many in California and other affected areas. It is transmitted by mosquito to thier victims (horses, birds, pets, and humans)
Bat houses do not attract bats into human houses, but are meant to give these creatures an alternative place to live and survive. Bats are essential to keeping balance in the ecosystem. They keep insect levels low, us happy and even pollinate! Best of all, a bats lifespan is up to 39 years!!
Art by: Sean Wallace
Age: 7