The Surprising Menu of Bats: What Do Bats Eat? 

Bats are often misunderstood and frequently feared. From their upside-down sleeping habits and association with Halloween to the myth that all bats drink blood, these winged mammals have garnered a spooky reputation.

In truth, out of approximately 1,300 species of bats that live in various parts of the world, only one consumes blood. However, the blood-drinking vampire bat, which lives in tropical locations like South America and Mexico, rarely bites humans. Instead, it feeds primarily on livestock and birds.

Other bats have a diet of fruit, seeds, and pollen, and they act as pollinators of fruit plants and flowers. However, the bats known as fruit bats are not found in the United States either. The bats that call the U.S. home are actually microbats, which is a smaller category of bats that primarily eats insects, including mosquitoes and other problematic pests.

Ready to put your bat fears to rest? Let’s explore the fascinating world of insect-eating bats in more detail, including the surprisingly critical role that bats play in contributing to a thriving ecosystem.

Introduction to Insect-Eating Bats

In the Northeast — specifically Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont — the most common bats are the big brown bat and the little brown bat. The big brown bat and little brown bat are both insectivores, with a diet made up of insects, worms, and other invertebrates.

Why Insectivorous Bats Matter

Insectivorous bats like the little brown bat and big brown bat play a critical role in pest control. According to data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, bats consume enough insects to save approximately $3 billion in pest control in the agricultural industry. In just the U.S. corn industry alone, they prevent crop damage and reduce pesticide costs to the tune of $1 billion in savings.

In addition to playing a vital role in controlling the pests that damage crops, insectivorous bats also consume large volumes of mosquitoes. By keeping mosquito populations in check, bats can help you enjoy the great outdoors without becoming a meal for blood-thirsty, disease-carrying insects.

Common Myths About Bats

The belief that all bats drink blood isn’t the only false myth circulating out there. Some of the other common misconceptions about these winged wonders include the following:

Myth: Bats Can’t See

We have all heard the saying, “Blind as a bat,” but the truth is that bats aren’t blind. They have small eyes and often underdeveloped eyesight, but they do have a sense of sight. However, insectivorous bats don’t rely on their vision to get around. They use sound waves instead.

Myth: Bats Are Rodents with Wings

Because they are so small and bear a fleeting resemblance to mice, many people mistakenly believe bats are rodents. However, they are mammals that can live up to 35 years, compared to rodents’ one to two-year lifespans.

Myth: Bats Attack People

Sometimes it appears as though bats are flying toward your head. This leads many people to think they are aiming for their hair. However, these agile animals have strong senses and are likely aiming for the tiny bugs flying around you in the dark.

Types of Insects Eaten by Bats

The U.S. Forest Service hails bats as one of the country’s “most important natural predators of night-flying insects.” Many of the insects that bats consume harm people, livestock, and crops.

Mosquitoes

Bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes per hour. Many of these flying natural pest controllers will eat up to half of their body weight nightly. Pregnant and nursing females can eat their weight in mosquitoes every night.

Beetles

Many of the beetles that wreck your garden and agricultural crops are food for insectivorous bats. They eat various pests, including white grubs and Asiatic garden beetles.

Moths

Research suggests that bats are selective in the moths they prey upon. They are known to eat several types of moths, including corn earworm moths and forest tent caterpillar moths. Many species of moths, including the bat-tiger moth, have developed defenses against bats. The tiger moth produces clicking sounds that bats have come to associate with a foul taste. Others use clicking noises to throw off bats’ echolocation.

Flies

Researchers looking into what these bats eat found evidence of crane flies, caddisflies, and mayflies in one-third or more of their subjects.

Other Insects

In addition to those mentioned, bats also eat crickets, chinch bugs, leafhoppers, and ants. Typically hunting in the early evening and at night, little brown bats and big brown bats prey on insects along shorelines and forest edges. You may also spot them flying above your yard. They catch insects in mid-flight by using their wings and mouths.

Adaptations of Insect-Eating Bats

Bats are like nature’s version of pest control professionals. They have evolved over time, adapting in ways that allow them to be efficient insect hunters.

Echolocation for Hunting

Echolocation may be among the most important adaptations. This process involves bats letting out high-frequency sounds and using the echoes that come back to them to determine the location of objects. Insectivorous bats capitalize on this ability to find their prey, identify it, and zero in for the kill.

Unique Wing Structures

Bats’ wings are another critical adaptation. Their wings stretch out from the sides of their bodies and are made up of two thin membranes. They have strong muscles attached to their shoulder blades that provide power as they fly, while the structure of the membrane provides optimal maneuverability and agility.

Nocturnal Feeding Habits

Bat feeding habits are another fascinating adaptation. They feed during the hours their prey are most active. This also protects them from the heat of the day, which could be dangerous when combined with the energy they use for flight.

Benefits of Insect-Eating Bats

Although you want to keep bats out of the house, they do have many benefits when they live nearby. Bats help control pests, supporting healthier environments and minimizing damage to plants and crops. Additionally, they support a thriving ecosystem, helping to keep cave systems growing and aiding in pollination.

Natural Pest Control

Because they eat insects, including some that destroy crops and gardens, bats provide natural pest control. In “The Economic Importance of Bats in Agriculture,” an article published in Science magazine, researchers provided a glimpse into the monetary value provided by bats. According to data, the pest control provided by bats adds up to between $3.7 and $22.9 billion annually.

Importance to Ecosystems

In controlling pests, bats perform a critical function for the ecosystem overall. They provide vital nutrients that help keep cave systems and the ecosystems that support the diverse creatures living there thriving. It’s also notable that other species living in subtropical and tropical regions of the country eat nectar, pollen, and fruit. These bats provide critical pollination and seed dispersal to support the agricultural industry in those areas.

Economic Benefits for Agriculture

With bats in the environment, the agricultural industry can use fewer pesticides, contributing to higher profits. As bats eat their fill of crop-destroying moths, beetles, and other insects, they protect commercial crops from damage.

Conservation of Insect-Eating Bats

Given the important role that bats play in the ecosystem and the economic benefits they provide, it’s not surprising that conservation efforts are underway. Bats face multiple threats that have created dwindling populations, with more than 85 species now listed as endangered. Without bats, many other species could become extinct, and insect populations would explode. In addition to global conservation efforts, most states have laws and regulations in place to protect bats and dictate when and how they can be removed from properties.

Threats to Bat Populations

Bats in the Northeast United States are being threatened by a rapidly spreading disease. It has dwindled Massachusetts’ bat population to less than 1 percent of what it once was. Originally discovered in a cave near Albany, New York, the disease is known as white-nose syndrome (WNS). When bats contract WNS, they develop a white fungus around their noses. That fungus eventually erodes vital parts of the bat that help keep it alive during hibernation and hunting.

White-nose syndrome continues to spread and is significantly affecting bat populations in the region. That is not good for natural (and free!) pest control and the maintenance of a strong, healthy ecosystem.

Other threats to bats include the destruction of their habitats, climate changes, and hunting or harm caused by humans. Bats are also slow to reproduce — most species only have one pup per female annually.

When to Call Professional Pest Control for Bats

If you have a bat in your walls, crawl space, or attic, don’t try to remove it on your own. State and federal regulations protect bats and dictate how they can be removed from the premises safely. With decades of experience, Catseye Pest Control has broad expertise in bat control and removal. Our highly trained technicians employ safe, humane techniques that comply with all guidelines and ensure no harm comes to these vitally important creatures.

Contact Catseye today to learn more about our services or to schedule a free inspection.