Top 5 Benefits of Bats

Let’s face it, bats have a bad reputation. Many people are terrified of bats but really, there’s not much to be afraid of. In fact, having bats around has some pretty amazing benefits that you might not be aware of! Here are my top 5 benefits of having bats.

1. Some bat species eat an incredible number of night-flying insects including mosquitoes. By some accounts, they can eat as many as 1,200 insects in an hour of feeding!
2. Other bats are critical pollinators of seeds and fruits that we eat.
3. Fruit-eating bats are very important for the dispersal of seeds. This is especially important for cleared and damaged rain forests.
4. Bat droppings (guano) are a very effective fertilizer and when collected responsibly it can have a very positive effect on local economies.
5. Believe it or not, bats can be a tourist attraction! An estimated 100,00 people visit a bridge in Austin, Texas to see the thousands of bats that live under the bridge come out to feed each night. By some estimates, this generates $10,000,000 in tourism revenue each year!

Brian Zwiebel