Beneficial bats help control insects in the garden

CORVALLIS, Ore. — With one blow of his cape, Count Dracula ruined the reputation of bats forever. Maybe.

In the 125 years since Dracula came on the scene and made us believe that bats are evil, we are beginning to grasp the truth: their voracious appetite for insects turns them into a living pesticide that allows save farmers billions of dollars a year. and helps rid our backyards of insects like mosquitoes, moths, grasshoppers, flies and beetles. Some species are critically important pollinators for crops ranging from bananas to agave.

Still, there are plenty of fake fodder that contribute to their creepy reputation. Bats are not flying mice. Indeed, according to International Bat Conservation, they are more closely related to humans. Bats don’t get tangled in your hair. Bats are not blind. Of the three out of 1,300 species that feed on blood, only one targets mammals. All are limited to Latin America. (If you really want to know, they don’t suck blood, they lick it “like kittens with milk,” BCI says on its website.)

More importantly, bats are no more susceptible to rabies than other mammals. However, in any given year, some bats likely contract and develop the disease, said Dana Sanchez, wildlife scientist with the Oregon State University Extension Service.

“People should report and avoid contact with a bat that is acting strangely, such as flying during the day, approaching people, or crawling on the ground,” said Sanchez, co-author of the new post Extension. Getting to Know Oregon Bats. “He could be affected by rabies or another disease, like white nose syndrome.”

Report sightings to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website or by phone at 866-968-2600 or your local health department where professionals can advise you on what to do.

Bats need little encouragement to hang out. They roost in dead trees, caves, and other dark, quiet places, including bat houses. You will see them at dusk and can recognize them by their zigzag flight.

To attract them to your garden and help conserve them, build a bat house or provide other roosting places. Bat boxes look like large boxes, but are open on the bottom and divided into several narrow spaces. Grounds are available on the Bat Conservation International website.

“One of the biggest problems facing bats right now is habitat loss,” Sanchez said. “We can try to mitigate that with bat houses.”

Other factors threatening bats, Sanchez added, are wind power development, white-nose syndrome and significant changes in water and food resources due to climate change.

Of the 15 bat species in Oregon, the most common are the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), the long-legged bat (Macrophyllum macrophyllum), and the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). . The western pipistrelle (Pipistrellus hesperus), the smallest bat in the United States, weighs a tenth of an ounce and is found in eastern Oregon.

More bat facts from Bat Conservation International:

• Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight.

• Bats can be found all over the world except for some islands and polar regions.

• Bats hibernate in winter.

• The size of bats is quite varied. The bumblebee bat in Asia has a wingspan of only 7 inches, while the giant golden-crowned flying fox in the tropics of Asia, Africa, and Europe can reach up to 6 feet.

• Some bats are solitary and some live in colonies of 20 million.

• In addition to insects, some bats feed on fish, frogs, lizards and fruits.

• Many bats are listed as threatened or endangered.

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About the OSU extension: Oregon State University’s Extension Service shares research-based knowledge with people and communities in Oregon’s 36 counties and Warm Springs Confederate Tribes. OSU Extension addresses issues that matter to urban and rural Oregonians. OSU Extension’s partnerships and programs contribute to a healthy, prosperous, and sustainable future for Oregon.