Bats used to battle mosquitoes in Jacksonville neighborhood

Bats can eat 3,000-5,000 bugs per night, Zookeeper says

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Due to a surfeit of mosquitoes after pouring summer rains, some residents in St. Nicholas have turned to bats to battle the increasing number of the bloodsucking pests.

Joann Herren, a Jacksonville zookeeper, says it's not a bad idea for her neighbors to place bat houses in their yard.

"Not only is it creating habitats for bats, some of which are potentially endangered creatures, but those bats can eat somewhere between 3,000 to 5,000 mosquitoes in a single night," Herren said. "And that's just one bat."

Herren said bats are useful because they have what's called an echolocator, which works similar to a sonar device.

"It's sound they produce. Their face and ears are specifically designed to let out a high pitch or frequency sound that then bounces off the mosquitoes and bounces back to their ear," Herren said.

Mike Wallace, who also lives in St. Nicholas, said the number of mosquitoes in his yard were unbearable before installing a bat house.

"You couldn't sit out here for more than 10 minutes, even with spray," Wallace said.

Experts say when it comes to placing a bat house, the animals prefer warmer locations that get four to six hours of sunlight.

The bat house should also be placed at least 10 feet off the ground, and although they can be attached to buildings and trees, a pole in the middle of a yard is a better spot.

Bat houses can be found at almost any hardware sore. They sell for about $26 at Ace Hardware.


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