Dragon Flies & Bats !

[GregManning]

Dragon Fly’s & Bats – GOOD ! ! ! - FYI
Rev: 240531 1145

I am lucky enough to live on a plot in NE Ohio w/ 2 acres of grass & 10 acres of woods.
The area is quite wet, but not swamp.

When I moved here, 33 years ago, there were LOTS of biting Deer Flies, biting Horse Flies, & Mosquitoes !
I would run up to the mail box to limit the number of bites.

About 5-10 years ago, Dragon Flies & later (~ 5 years) Bats moved into the area.

Drastically improved conditions ! ! !
Basically no biting problems.

I love to watch the Dragon Flies dart around, instantly change directions, & even just resting on the ground in the sunshine w/ their wings spread out !

Dragonfly - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

How to Identify Biting Flies | Types of Biting Flies | Orkin

Biting flies use both humans and other animals as food sources. Read about what types of flies bite and learn more by reaching out to experts at Orkin.

www.orkin.com

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Why did d-flies and bats proliferate?

Bat houses are in vogue.

Mosies breed in still water, black flies moving. Surface water seems to favor the biting buzztrds

 

[GregManning]

Why did d-flies and bats proliferate?

Bat houses are in vogue.

Mosies breed in still water, black flies moving. Surface water seems to favor the biting buzztrds

I don't know.
I had thought about trying to attract both at different times.
Then they both just showed up. Maybe just food supply ? ? ?

Then, I did consider, "how do I keep them around ?"
I did nothing; but they're still here !

 

[surveyor]

I have put up a bat box, but so far no takers. Here is a bug we saw on todays job, who obligingly faced my son (in my avatar) for his picture to be taken.

 

[GregManning]

I have put up a bat box, but so far no takers. Here is a bug we saw on todays job, who obligingly faced my son (in my avatar) for his picture to be taken.View attachment 94047

What is that !

 

[surveyor]

He is an assassin bug known as a wheel bug.

 

[surveyor]

About a year ago I saw one of these on the floor moving like greased lightning, as I was getting into bed.

 

[pete3d]

A note on bat houses -

I’m fortunate enough to live in the house I was born in and we’ve happily, in my opinion, always had bats.

A few years ago when the bat nose fungus was decimating the bat population continent wide I put up several commercial bat houses, following the provided instructions, on the south side of several buildings (perhaps the instructions were from Australia) and after some years those bat houses deteriorated without housing a single bat.

Last summer while attempting to bring my 1860s house into this century, with a face lift plus insulation, we removed the decorative shutters (which form a good bat house between the wall and the shutter) and found no bats on the southeast or southwest sides, but dozens of bats living under there on the northwest and particularly on the northeast side of the house.

Please don’t fear for the evicted bats - there’s room for hundreds in my old barn, and in the summer, when they’re here, lots of fresh feces to prove it.

 

[data farm 26]

Loss of bats to lethal fungus linked to 1,300 child deaths in US, study says

Because bats feed on crop pests, their disappearance led to a surge in pesticide use. Research found a rise in infant mortality in areas where the bats had been wiped out

www.theguardian.com

 

[Jonny]

Gary McCracken - Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

eeb.utk.edu

My Uncle Gary is retired now, but he’ll probably stay involved and up to date on the research and ecology of bats for the rest of his life. Still does some writing and lectures. Such beautiful and fascinating animals. Gary is a super nice guy and very passionate about the conservation of bats and related issues like insect migrations. If any of you guys have specific questions and are having trouble finding answers, his email is on that page I linked.