Bats and skeeters
When we were at Disney, we went to animal kingdom. There was some exhibit that had all kinds of stuff on critters in the US. One thing we learned there was that a bat could eat 12,000 mosquitoes a night. So, they said building bat boxes was a good idea and a natural way to kill the little buggers. Well, I never built a bat box but we have a group of about six that I see frequently. I guess there is a cave nearby.
I bring this up because, right now, I am on the back porch continuing my silent protest of the tobacco bill by enjoying a nice Gurkha Legend. When I came out, I marveled at how quickly the mosquitoes swarmed the screened-in porch. They can’t get to me because I’m behind a screen. But I guess they sense my presence somehow (from my carbon dioxide emissions, iirc). And within a few seconds, about four bats were putting on a nice aerobatic show while sucking down the mosquitoes.
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:33 pm
There is some kind of bat fungus plague killing them off by the millions. I’d like to see enviros or sportsmen fund a fix for that, because by the time the gov. gets to it there will be two left, they will cost you a trillion per bat, and they won’t be allowed to eat bugs.
Bats Unlimited…want to save something? Figure out how to eat it. The hunters will take it from there.
June 24th, 2009 at 12:57 am
A few years back, before the remodel, we had a maternity colony in the rafters of our 100-year-old house. Hundreds of mama bats and all their babies. It was pretty weird. But that was the Summer of NO–none, zip, zero–Mosquitoes!
June 24th, 2009 at 1:24 am
Amazing.
In your big South American River ad on the right margin there’s a link to a really nice selection of bat shelters…and books on ‘progressive politics’.
Obvious moonbattery!
They’re sure a lot more fun than purple martins. I’d go for it.
Regards,
Rabbit.
June 24th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
If you want to rid yourself of mosquito’s outside in a relatively large area, spray Listerine mouth wash on the ground and chairs to repel them. They can not stand it.
Them bats is smart, they got that radar!
~ Townsend old timer 1986
BT