Bats feed on crop pests in Sacramento Valley

Long, R; Simpson, T; Ding, T; Heydon, S; Reil, W

Bats feed on crop pests in Sacramento Valley

Authors

Rachael Freeman Long
Tiffanie Simpson
Tzung-Su Ding
Steve Heydon
Wilbur Reil

Authors Affiliations

R.F. Long is UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, Yolo and Solano counties; T. Simpson is graduate student, Entomology, UC Davis; T. Ding is graduate student, Agronomy, UC Davis; S. Heydon is Senior Museum Scientist, Bohart Museum, Entomology, UC Davis; W. Reil is UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, Yolo and Solano counties.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 52(1):8-10. DOI:10.3733/ca.v052n01p8. January 1998.

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Abstract

Food habits of Mexican free-tailed bats and Yuma myotis bats were examined in the Sacramento Valley. Analyses of guano samples indicated that Mexican free-tailed and Yuma myotis bats fed on moths, water boatmen, beetles, flies, midges, mosquitoes and plant bugs. The diet of Yuma myotis bats tended to be diverse early in the season, but more uniform later on when they ate more moths. In contrast, Mexican free-tailed bats primarily fed on midges, flies and mosquitoes early in the season, then became more generalized feeders later on. These data demonstrate that bats are beneficial as they feed on insects that can be pests of agriculture.

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