the birds and the bats

[BrianC]

I have been curious, since we have been hearing about how much the loss of bats eating insects will cost in additional insecticides,and crop loss and failure, Has any scientist actually tried to identify why this is so important. Bats do eat insects, I have two, actually one now that roams around my house each night indulging in a feast of insects. I also have watches many hundreds of different birds doing the same during the morning through evening hours. Bats have a select area that they really like especially around water, so do birds. What percentage of insects do bats eat verses all the species of birds?

[onebat]

I have four bats at my house that I see every evening eating insects. I assume they eat a different species of insects then the birds do?

[BrianC]

I have four bats at my house that I see every evening eating insects. I assume they eat a different species of insects then the birds do?

Bats are credited with eating mosquitoes, though there are a whole host of birds around homes in the east and northeast that eat mosquitoes.

[BrianC]

The bird and bat species are very different in the rain forests in south America region, where bats do have a larger insect control ability. the birds are larger and very different. The opposite occurs in most of north America where the appetite of birds is similar to the bats, although there are thousands of times more birds than bats.

[Phil Winkler]

Let's not forget that some 80% of the plants below the equator are fertilized by bats. I think they make up some large percentage of all the species of animals on earth, too. Aren't there a couple of hundred species of bats?

[PYoungbaer]

About 1000-1100 species of bats - @750 of them insectivores, @250 frugivores, the rest carnivores, piscivores (fish-eaters), nectar drinkers, and three species of vampires (blood). Many of the fruit and nectar consumers get covered with pollen in the course of their meals, and are critical to pollination. The frugivores also spit out seeds, also aiding propagation of those plants.

[Evan G]

I think they make up some large percentage of all the species of animals on earth, too.

Mammals not animals because once you say "animals", bats become basically insignificant because of the vast amount multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Just think of the beetles, the ants, etc ....

[BrianC]

Let's not forget that some 80% of the plants below the equator are fertilized by bats. I think they make up some large percentage of all the species of animals on earth, too. Aren't there a couple of hundred species of bats?

Ah Ha! All very true, but the example is significant in the regions outside the current and more than likely potential range, climatically, where WNS would be considered. Point being made, Bats threatened by WNS will probably not make much, if any financial dent from additional insecticidal, pollinator, demands in regions of WNS threat. Below the equator the temperate climate has been identified as warmer than Gd will thrive.