How Many Mosquitos Can Bats Eat?
The commonly cited figure that bats can eat up to 1,000 mosquitos an hour was based on student research and was not published in a peer-reviewed journal. Its accuracy is questionable. Another study, in which bats were given access to mosquitos to determine how they use echolocation to find food found that bats could eat up to 10 mosquitos per minute. Mathematically, this would work out to 600 mosquitos per hour if the bat kept up the same pace. However, the same study showed that bats only kept up that pace for a few minutes. Therefore, the 600-per-hour figure is probably exaggerated as well. It is true that bats can eat about half their weight in insects per night. This figure includes mosquitos but is not limited to them. Research suggests that bats prefer other, larger insects and that mosquitos make up between 1% and 3% of a bat's diet.What Role Do Bats Play in Mosquito Control?
Nevertheless, even though bats do not eat as many mosquitos as they are reputed to, they can still contribute to a decline in the mosquito population. During one study, researchers set up two enclosures using nets that would allow insects to fly in and out but keep bats confined to one area. Both enclosures contained standing water for mosquito breeding sites, but only one contained bats. At the conclusion of the study, there were fewer mosquito eggs in the enclosure with the bats by 32%. Therefore, even if bats do not prefer mosquitos or eat as many as most people believe, they can still interfere with mosquito reproduction. One theory is that mosquitos that have recently had a blood meal in anticipation of laying eggs make both a more appealing target for bats, because they are larger, and are easier to catch because they are slower.