Did you know that bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour? That means every night they eat their body weight. Yet we are still spraying toxins into the air in Nassau and Suffolk counties trying to do what they do better. So I say, “Bats are beautiful.”
Bats are often viewed fearfully, but in reality they are tiny creatures that should be admired. They are beneficial, small and helpful as they control the insect-pest population. Besides eating mosquitoes, they eat flying beetles, winged ants and motes. Down South they help the cotton growers save money from not using pesticides. Unfortunately, the white nose syndrome as well as loss of habitat is decimating them.
So what can New York and Long Island do to help them help us?
We can grow more forests, but that takes time. However, more easily achieved is the purchase of bat houses. These are being used successfully all over. Some are in parks and preserves and others in people’s backyards. So why not give them homes and offer protected areas for them to live in?
I believe it is time to save our tax dollars from being spent on spraying, jeopardizing our health and the environment. It’s time to invest in bat houses. Then the beauty of our bats will be appreciated by all when we know what great, beneficial creatures they are.
—Elaine Peters
