Bats: Biological Insect Control

Bats are a valuable creature for everyone, but especially gardeners.

Bats help control insects. Most people know that bats eat mosquitoes, but did you know they can eat as many as 1000 mosquitoes in just an hour? They also eat beetles and moths.

The thought of bats conjures up all sorts of fears, myths, and superstitions. The truth is, only a small percentage of bats are vampires. Vampire bats live only in Latin America, and they do not attack humans. Bats living in the United States are predominantly insect-eaters. In fact, most bats eat insects, and most of the rest eat fruit and nectar. Only a very small percentage of bats feed on meat, fish, or blood. Bats living in the Southeastern United States eat only insects.

Bats use sound to find insects, and in total darkness they can locate something as small as an individual human hair. Just exactly how they do that is something scientists still cannot fully understand. Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind, and some bats actually have great eyesight.

When it comes to mosquito control, we can use all the help we can get! It would be wise to do what you can to encourage bats to live in your garden.

Growth and development here in Georgia has brought about much change, and bats here are in need of some help with their habitat. Caves and large dead trees are the preferred nesting spots for bats, but these comfortable homes are diminishing. That's why so many bats are finding homes in buildings and houses. 

You can help provide a habitat in your garden for bats by building nesting boxes for them. Careful consideration must be given to insure the box is built properly, giving the bats a safe place to nest. You can find excellent detailed instructions at Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Once your bat house has been installed and bats have made it their home, they will thank you in many ways. In addition to eating every mosquito, beetle, and moth they find, they'll also reward you by donating nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden. They will simply drop it beneath the bat house for you, and you can take it whenever you want for spreading around your garden.