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March 26, 2025 - Bats in Agriculture

A natural solution for pest management.

U.S. agriculture benefits from $3.7 billion per year in reduced pest control inputs as a result of bats. This number is the minimum estimated savings to U.S. farmers due to this often-maligned mammal. The upper savings estimate may be as high as $53 billion globally.  

Significant value has been placed on bats near our borders in the midwest and great plains of the U.S. It seems that there may be considerable potential for savings in Canadian agriculture by recognizing and cultivating this helpful species as a management tool.

In addition, the rate at which insects are becoming resistant to pesticides and genetically modified crops could be reduced with the incorporation of an integrated pest management plan (IPM) that includes bats.  

Over time, through natural selection, insects can evolve to become resistant to chemical controls. Bats, natural predators of numerous crop pests, slow down this evolution process by lessening the need for pesticides. It is also possible for them to adapt along with their prey’s changing defences thus maintaining stability in the food chain. 

Bat species common to Alberta are the big brown, little brown, hoary, red, silver-haired and a few types of long bats. Collectively, these species take the night shift and feed on pests such as beetles, flies, gnats, grasshoppers, mayflies, midges, mosquitoes, moths and termites.  

The average bat can eat up to half of its body weight in insects per night while mother bats are able to consume as much as their full body weight. If large colonies of bats exist (one million bats can consume approximately 10 tons of insects), consumption of insects could lead to breaks in the population cycle of pests.

Bats can provide a long-term return on investment when incorporated into a pest management system. The little brown bat, for example, has a lifespan of approximately 30 years! 

Responsible land management should incorporate the maintenance of a recurring bat population. Bat reproduction rates are low, which makes it difficult for bats to recoup from quick population declines.  Most bats only have one pup per year.

Habitat loss from clear-cutting, draining of wetlands and pesticide use all contribute to a decline in bat populations. Roosting areas and food supplies are lost through the destruction of habitat areas. The specific formulation of a pesticide will influence its persistence and mobility within the environment.  

Soil structure can also manipulate the speed at which pesticides move. It is possible for pesticide residues to travel via water and air creating subsequent issues for plant and animal life down the line and potentially killing off food sources for bats.

White-nose syndrome (WNS) and wind turbines kill off large numbers of bats and are some major concerns in the maintenance of bat populations.

WNS is caused by a fungus that infects bats in hibernation. The fungus can be transmitted from bat to bat and can be found on muzzles, wings, ears and tails, resulting in near 100 per cent death rates. One presumed avenue of transmission between colonies could be from human explorers transporting the fungus on caving equipment.

WNS affects the sleep pattern of bats which results in energy loss, dehydration, starvation and death.   As bats are true hibernators, they rely on fat reserves to make it through the winter. Each disturbance can result in one bat using as much as a 65-day supply of hibernation reserve which is perilous when infected with WNS.

It is estimated that the death toll from WNS is over 5.5 million. An immediate result is reduced pressure on agricultural pests, which sends us searching for alternative and more costly methods of control.

New discoveries of healthy bat populations will be extremely beneficial when researching WNS, from a treatment perspective as well as expanding knowledge of hibernation patterns.

Wind turbines are also harmful to bats since their respiratory systems are subjected to extreme damage during quick drops in air pressure when approaching turbine blades. Due to their thin, balloon-like lungs, blood vessels and organs are susceptible to bursting.   

Tens of thousands of bats are killed yearly due to collision with turbine blades and fatal damage to respiratory systems as a result of this issue.   

Birds are better able to withstand the quick drop in pressure as their lungs are rigid and tube-like.   Research is currently being done within the renewable energy sector to decrease the number of losses. 

The bonus of integrated pest management is resilience. A farm that has cultivated natural systems over time can decrease fluctuations in environmental health and the need for sometimes costly inputs in the future. Hopefully that future includes a healthy bat population.