Can Mosquitoes Eat Bats?
WouterSeveral species of bats are reported to eat mosquitoes. Some of these species are large and predatory, while others are smaller and more opportunistic.
These bats have been reported to consume a significant number of mosquitoes in a short period of time. Some studies have suggested that mosquitoes make up as much as three percent of a bat’s diet. In addition to mosquitoes, bats eat a wide variety of insects. The majority of bats eat Lepidoptera, such as moths, beetles, and wasps.
Some experts believe that bats prefer larger insects, which provide more calories per bug. However, larger species will also eat mosquito larvae infrequently.
A study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that little brown bats consumed a wide range of mosquito species. In addition, mosquitoes were also present in 60% of big brown bat sites.
The study was funded by a Hatch grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Researchers placed large netted enclosures in a protected forest area. They collected mosquitoes and their eggs daily. They also examined the guano of twelve bats. They also detected mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus.
While the results of this study raise questions about the extent of bat mosquito consumption, the findings suggest that bats are effective at controlling mosquito populations. Those findings could have implications for human health.
While the role of bats in controlling agricultural pests is well documented, there have been few studies that examine how well bats regulate mosquitoes.
