Follow
Bats are on our mind right now and not because Halloween is just around the corner. Mistakenly perceived as pests by many people, insectivorous bats make a significant contribution to insect control at large and in agriculture. According to a recent study published in Science magazine, bats are likely to save the U.S. agricultural industry a minimum of $3 billion a year!
There are 14 species of bats commonly found in the Sacramento Valley Area. Among them is the Little Brown Bat, one of the most common species of bats in North America, and the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat, the most common in Northern California. Though small, about the size of your thumb, the Little Brown Bat can eat up to the weight of 2 grapes a night, and the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat will eat up to its own body weight, about .5 ounces, every night. We think, as do many scientists, that the nocturnal feasting of insects on a regular basis will help reduce our pest pressure in the Orchard. Insects on the farm are plentiful. Moths are a favorite of the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat and we hope they will take a particular liking to the peach twig borer, oriental fruit moth, and especially the codling moths, which love our apples and pears. The larvae of these moths eat our fruit.
We’ve built 10 bat houses on poles around 12 feet high and placed them in the orchard with hopes that the bats will find them cozy and decide to roost. We aren’t sure which species of bats may find a home at Frog Hollow, but we will welcome any and all that will contribute to our multi-faceted pre-emptive pest control program. We won’t have any real way to quantify whether the bats are controlling pests, but if we see a reduction in pest populations after a colony or two move in, we will assume they are helping.
We’ll keep you informed about bats on the farm as we learn more about them!
Photo credit:
Mexican Free-Tailed Bat by J.N. Stuart via Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartwildlife/6223769222/lightbox/
