From page 8
NEWS
long study in Limpopo, for
example, reveals that bats will
larger insects, bypassing those
feed on stinkbugs, so there is
very small ones, such as
no reason to suggest that
midges.
midges would be off the
However, smaller bats, of
menu if available.
which there are many species
There is also some research to
on the Highveld, emit higher
suggest that, when all else
frequencies which are easily
fails, bats will feed off water
capable of echolocating tiny
insects such as midges, even to sources, skimming up surfacethose down to no more than a dwelling water insects and
couple of millimeters in length. larvae, which could include
those of the Culicoides midge.
C imicola, which would fall
And if, indeed, bats eat
into the category of small
culicoides midges it's not only
insects, is only one of an
horse owners who can benefit
estimated 1 000 varieties of
from their presence. C imicola
midge occurring worldwide
is also a transmitter of the
and a study on bat diets
bluetongue virus, a serious
undertaken in Scotland has
disease of sheep and goats, so
shown that Scottish bats do,
keepers of sheep should also
have a bat box near their
animal housing.
But even if bats have no
effect on the culicoides
midge there is another
compelling reason to
encourage them to take up
residence near your animal
housing, of all sorts, and
that's simply because they
feed, voraciously, on insects.
Thus, they constitute
another weapon in your war
against mosquitoes, flies and
other flying bugs and one
that is cost-free and totally
Three-box bat stations give the animals natural.
a choice of housing
Oh, and that old wives' tale
of bats flying into and
indeed, consume midges.
becoming entabgled with
But, there's more: bats are
ladies' hairdos? That's
voracious and opportunistic
nonsense. With an echofeeders, requiring vast number
locating sonar system as
of insects daily to sustain their
sophisticated as a bat's, is it
high-metabolism systems (the
honestly likely that a bat
Scottish study estimated they
would mistake a human
can consume up to 3 000
hairdo for dinner?
midges a night).
If you would like to introduce
There is evidence that bigger
bats to your property, you
species of insectivorous bats
should offer them decent
might also consume swarming
housing. EcoSolutions of
midges, even if they can't
Strydom Park specialises in the
echolocate individual prey,
manufacture of owl and bat
simply by flying through the
houses, but more importantly
swarm with their mouths open,
maximising the potential
hoovering up the insects much
occupancy of those houses.
the same way that a whale
EcoSolutions says, “Bat houses
hoovers up vast quantities of
and their use in an integrated
krill in the sea.
pest management strategy is
And bats are opportunistic
not a cottage industry, it is a
feeders, going after just about
science. Over the last ten years
anything in their path. A yearContinued on page 13
11
www.sasmallholder.co.za