Bats vs. Zika mosquitoes: Miami Beach builds bat houses to eradicate virus - TomoNews
- 8 years ago
MIAMI — Zika virus-carrying mosquitoes in Florida may be in for their own deadly scare. In an effort to combat the spread of the virus, decision-makers in Miami Beach have approved the installation of a few bat houses in city parks to offer bats attractive housing options in mosquito-populated areas.
To combat the spread of Zika virus, small bat houses will be installed in city parks to attract bats looking for a place to roost. Bats prefer warm, narrow spaces that offer shelter from predators and the elements. A good bat house will be built tight to mimic their natural habitats. Mother bats are most attracted to bat houses close to a water source, so they won’t have to travel too far from their young. Bat houses should be positioned for maximum sun exposure, placed 15-20 feet in the air to allow the bats enough room to swoop down and fly away.
The bat houses are being implemented because bats are expert mosquito-killers, with the ability to consume as many as 1000 in under an hour. The move is also a nod to environmentalists upset over nearby Miami-Dade county being sprayed with naled, an insecticide used to eradicate the mosquitoes.
To combat the spread of Zika virus, small bat houses will be installed in city parks to attract bats looking for a place to roost. Bats prefer warm, narrow spaces that offer shelter from predators and the elements. A good bat house will be built tight to mimic their natural habitats. Mother bats are most attracted to bat houses close to a water source, so they won’t have to travel too far from their young. Bat houses should be positioned for maximum sun exposure, placed 15-20 feet in the air to allow the bats enough room to swoop down and fly away.
The bat houses are being implemented because bats are expert mosquito-killers, with the ability to consume as many as 1000 in under an hour. The move is also a nod to environmentalists upset over nearby Miami-Dade county being sprayed with naled, an insecticide used to eradicate the mosquitoes.