Recently the news has jumped in the media that in the city of Barcelona a program has been established to install breeding boxes for batsin some urban gardens in the city. This news shows us how important it is to fight against mosquitoes that are proliferating more and more in our cities. This measure taken in Barcelona occurs in many other cities on the planet.
The tiger mosquito and some species accidentally imported beyond our borders due to the enormous volume of international merchandise traffic, should make us aware of the need to stop the advance of these harmful insects that transmit various diseases, including Zika virus.
For this reason, continue reading this article on our site and you will be able to find out about the usefulness of bats to control mosquitoes.
Types of bats
Wondering how many kinds of bats are there? It is estimated that there are more than 1,200 bat species in the world. There are 23 species of bats that are threatened.
Some bats carry rabies. For this reason it is not advisable to touch them, despite the fact that they are neither aggressive nor dangerous for humans, except for the so-called vampires.
Vampires are tiny tropical bats that feed on the blood of cattle or humans if they are found asleep. They can cause diseases, and one of them is that they inoculate a product with their saliva that prevents blood from clotting.
There are huge bats that feed on fruit at sunset.
The most dangerous thing about bats is their guano, which accumulates in thick layers on the floor of the caves where thousands of them live. Bat feces are very dangerous if breathed in, as they can cause lung damage.
Europe and Asia
In Europe there are 30 different species of bats, which little by little are recovering their cabin, since their ecological importance is now recognized. In Asia, 33 species of bats are recognized.
- The common bat, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, is one of the species that mainly inhabits Europe and Asia. These bats are great consumers of mosquitoes and other winged insects. It is estimated that each specimen can consume about 1000 mosquitoes every day.
- The soprano bat, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, is another bat species that lives in European cities. These small bats are great predators of mosquitoes, since they consume 60% of their weight in the equivalent of mosquitoes each day.
- The light-edged bat, Pipistrellus kuhlii, is the third species to populate the European night to rid it of mosquitoes. After mating, bats separate and females form female-only colonies with their corresponding offspring.
Latin America
In South America there are 302 recognized species of bat, which do a great job of consuming the dangerous species of mosquitoes in the area, among other beneficial tasks for Nature and human beings. Next we will show a couple of copies.
- The common fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata, is of great importance for the entire South American and Central American continent. It feeds on fruits, pollen and insects. For this reason it enjoys a triple ecological importance: it distributes with its feces the seeds of the more than 50 varieties of fruit it consumes; pollinate flowers; and consume significant amounts of insects.
- The ghost bat, Diclidurus albus, is distributed from Mexico, Central America and to eastern Brazil and in Trinidad and Tobago. It is insectivorous and sports a very pretty white fluff. Its habitat is wooded and humid areas below 1500 m.
Urban infrastructures
The Barcelona City Council in its bat reintroduction program has used wooden nesting boxes. Each one of these boxes is capable of housing up to 300 females These boxes are installed on poles 3 meters high, joining those already installed in previous years.
On the fringes of this municipal program there is the city's own natural population consisting of 5 bat species. These urban bats hide during the day in roofs, cracks, windowsills, or under bridges of urban structures. There are some that live in hollow trunks, or large openings in urban trees.
Bat nesting boxes
There are various types of nest boxes for bats on the market. Prices range between €16 and €120.
Also It is feasible to build it yourselfThe wood can be cedar or pine, but without any chemical or varnish treatment. It is convenient that the wood on the inside of its walls has parallel horizontal grooves so that the bats have a better grip. The shape of its 4 walls must be rectangular, open at the bottom and roofed with a slope to efficiently drain the rain.
The box must be distributed inside in 2 or 3 chambers separated by interior walls, to maximize the number of copies contained. The wood used must have a minimum thickness of 1.4 cm. In this way the interior temperature will be more stable and will better withstand the natural elements. Nails should not be used, screws will be used for solid construction.
The boxes should be hung at a height between 3 and 5 m, facing north. They can be hung from walls, poles, or trees. Due to the use of solid wood, it is not convenient for the nest-boxes to be very large, since the excessive weight would be an inconvenience to hang them.
Image from redvoluntariosambientales-sierranieve.blogspot.com:
How to attract bats?
If we want to free our houses with gardens from mosquitoes, we must place some elements that are attractive to bats.
High light attracts insects, and makes it easier for bats to eat. A fountain with circulating water is very attractive to bats. If there are trees in the garden, the bats will come naturally, since many take advantage of their holes as breeding places.
Plant scented flowers, as insects condense around them and bats will detect their presence. Finally, if you have a nest box, you will have your own colony of bats that will eat the flying insects around your house.
Bat Protection
There are various entities all over the planet with the common goal of protecting bats and disseminating the benefits they bring us.
One of them is the Fundación PCMA (Program for the Conservation of Argentine Bats). This exemplary entity, a pioneer in the dissemination among children and adults of the capital importance of bats, was created in 2007 in the Argentine city of Tafi del Valle (Tucumán). He regularly promotes interesting workshops to show citizens the great benefits that bats provide us.
Also discover how to repel mosquitoes with effective home remedies.
