Elizabeth's Best Bat Removal

Are Bats Good for Mosquito Control?

Mosquitoes represent only a small portion of the pest insects that plague the world. With 70 percent of bat species eating insects, just imagine the number of insects that would be around today without bats. On average, the most common bat in the US will eat anywhere from 4,000 insects to 8,000 depending on the night. If the area is high in mosquito population, then bats can be decent insect control.

More and More Bugs

As it turns out, bats are no better at eating mosquitoes than frogs or larger insects are. Because the buzzing pest is so tiny, larger bats generally get only a calorie or two from them, making it a meal not worth the hunt. Bats consume a variety of insects to keep a balanced diet. Reportedly, mosquitoes only make up under 1 percent of it. Researchers that studied how many insects a bat can eat in one hour to a whole night used mosquitoes as their test subjects because of the size of the insect and not as a study on how well bats controlled the mosquito population.

"False" Advertising

Businessmen hoping to make money from the average consumer can advertise their bat houses as mosquito control methods. Their advertisements try to show bats as mosquito-only eaters. That is only one aspect of pest control and should be one of many parts in the effort to handle the insect population. Bats generally prefer moths and spiders or beetles over mosquitos. They will never turn down an easy snack, though.

More Than One Way…

Alternatives to dealing with a mosquito population like chemical pesticides that do more harm than good long-term. As such, you may want to consider picking up a bat house to show a decrease in the insect population. In actuality, biologists are still debating about where the mosquito fits into the bat's diet. Regardless of how many mosquitoes specifically a bat will consume, setting up a specialized roost location for them will encourage their stay in the area and have at least some impact.

Natural Pest Control

When looking for more natural ways to discourage a mosquito population, include getting a bat house set up nearby. If you already have bats in the area, providing them a space where they are welcome instead of unwanted house guests can save a lot of money down the road. If you are within a source of water, like a creek or river, even a lake, that will help your chances of a decent-sized colony settling in. Maternity colonies, which help propagate the species, will not roost in a place where food and water are not prevalent.

Keeping Bats Around

Getting a few bats for several nights is easy. Keeping a long-term colony happy can be a little bit of effort. It can start with properly setting up the bat house and end with ensuring the area is free of disturbances in the early morning and late evening. Bat houses should be 15 to 20 feet off the ground. It should not be nestled in between trees, but not too out in the open. If you want to make it seem like a penthouse suite, find an area that gets between 5 and 8 hours of sunlight to stay warm during the day. Having a decent number of insects around will not hurt your chances either.

Spice of Life: Variety

There are around 50 different species of bat in North America. Keeping just one species in a bat house is difficult. All of the species eat insects, so any of them should be welcomed. The number of bats is also a factor out of your control. The best thing you can do is to discourage natural predators of the bats, such as owls and hawks. This will ensure you have a decent colony to help fend off the insects.

Better Than Nothing

Any amount of increased bat population will have some effect on the insect population nearby. If you are curious, there are other pest insect populations that a bat will feed on. It might prove to be useful knowledge when figuring out where to set up a bat house and whether a bat house is the right choice for you. Keep in mind that growing specific plants can discourage mosquitoes but will draw other kinds of insects. Bats are just as likely to stick around if the variety of insects is good for them.