Insect Pest Management Services Provided by Bats

Thirteen different species of bats live in Florida year-round. All of them sleep in roosts during the day and emerge at dusk to feed on insects throughout the night. Due to their small size and high metabolism, bats have exceptionally high energy demands. This means that each bat consumes large quantities of insects. During the summer, when pregnant and nursing female bats have especially high energy requirements, each bat may consume as much as two thirds of its body weight per night. This would be the equivalent of a 150-pound human consuming 100 pounds of food per day!