Devouring 1,000 Mosquitoes an Hour, Bats Are Now Welcome Guests as Zika Fears Rise
▻http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/nyregion/devouring-1000-mosquitoes-an-hour-bats-are-now-welcome-guests-as-zika-fears
NORTH HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — As mosquito season heats up, bringing with it the threat of the West Nile and #Zika viruses, one Long Island town is taking an unorthodox approach: bats.
The town, North Hempstead, has approved the construction of boxes that function as bat houses in several parks to attract more bats to the area.
“Bats can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes per hour,” Judi Bosworth, the town supervisor, said. “That’s extraordinary. A pesticide couldn’t do that.”
The town started encouraging the building and hanging of bat houses in its parks in 2007 to curb the use of #pesticides, and it has added a few more each year since.