Newspaper Page Text
Weekend Edition-October 21-22,2022
ForsythNews.com | FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS | 3A
By Heather Kolich
County Extension Coordinator
Agents with the Forsyth
County Extension Office
file a report each Sunday
for "Community Living."
For more information, call
them at (770) 887-2418.
Bats beneficial
in ecosystems
Bats occupy an important
niche in ecosystems around
the world, providing mos
quito control, eating crop
damaging moths and bee
tles, pollinating important
agricultural crops, and dis
persing seeds to aid in
reforestation. Unfortunately,
this unique flying mammal
faces survival challenges
from habitat loss, disease,
and negative perceptions.
Three of the four mammals
identified as threatened or
endangered in Georgia are
bats.
Georgia is home to 16
species of bats. At least nine
of these species have an
expected distribution range
in the upper piedmont
region, including the three
endangered ones, the gray
bat (Myotis grisescens), the
Indiana bat (Myotis sodal-
ist), and the northern long
eared bat (Myotis septentri-
onalis).
All Georgia bats are
insectivores; they eat thou
sands of moths, beetles,
mosquitoes, and other fly
ing insects each night.This
free service from bats pro
vides over $53 billion in
organic, non-toxic pest con
trol to farmers worldwide. In
a study conducted in south
ern Illinois in 2013 and 2014,
researchers spread net
enclosures over 20-by-
20-meter blocks within corn
fields each evening to
exclude bats. Corn grown
where the bats could not
enter suffered 56 percent
more damage from corn
earworms than did corn
grown where bats were free
to swoop in and feed each
night. Based on 2014 corn
prices, researchers estimat
ed that bats provided a
worldwide agricultural ben
efit of $1 billion on corn
alone.
Photo courtesy of J. Scott Altenbach
Bats also eat pests of
other crops, including cot
ton, soybeans, and pecans.
After losing 30 percent of
their pecan crop to the lar
vae of hickory shuckworm
moths each year, the owners
of Pebble Hill Grove pecan
orchard in south Georgia
started installing bat houses
in 1996. By 1999, they had 11
bat houses and 2-3 thou
sand bats hunting through
their orchard each evening
— and no more problems
with damage from shuck-
worms.
In desert and tropical
environments, bats feed on
pollen, nectar, and fruits.
They pollinate some of our
favorite foods, including
bananas, cloves, and agave,
as well as other socially and
economically important
plants. By distributing the
seeds they ingest, fruit-eat
ing bats "can account for as
much as 95 percent of the
seed dispersal responsible
for early growth in recently
cleared rainforests," accord
ing to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
After all of their insect,
pollen, and fruit consump
tion, bats produce a valu
able product: guano.The
agricultural use of drop
pings from birds and bats as
fertilizer dates back at least
to the 13th century, and
guano became the first com
mercial fertilizer in the
1840s, when it was mined
from Peruvian islands and
shipped to Europe and the
U.S.
The fungal disease
Pseudogymnoascus destruc-
tans, abbreviated as Pd, that
causes White Nose
Syndrome has reduced bat
populations in some
Georgia caves by over 90
percent since it was first
detected in Georgia in 2013.
Habitat loss is another
major threat to bats. Some
bats now roost in structures,
including homes, bridges,
and culverts.
Although no one wants
bats roosting in their home,
they are beneficial to have
around the yard for reduc
ing numbers of mosquitoes
and other flying pest
insects.To encourage bats to
move out of your house,
install a bat house in a
desirable location nearby.
Then determine where bats
enter the home. Sometime
between August and March,
when all the bats have left
the roost to hunt, seal up
the entry point so that the
bats cannot get back inside.
Avoid excluding bats
between April and the end
of July because the pups
can't yet fly, and they will be
sealed inside the home.
To learn more about bats,
join Forsyth County
Extension at two upcoming
events:
Friday, October 28:The
Bat Booth at Enchanted
Halloween,The Collection of
Forsyth, 4-6 p.m. Kids learn
bat facts and get a treat!
Saturday, October 29:
AVery Batty Evening,
Hampton Park Library
Branch, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Learn
about Georgia bats and see
which species are flying
around the library.
UGA Extension strives to trans
late the science of life for use
in everyday living. Forsyth
County Extension is supported
by the University of Georgia,
Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners, Forsyth County
Board of Education, and United
Way of Forsyth County.
UrgentORTHO means avoiding the E.R. for
fast, less expensive, non-crowded care.
Same-day, Saturday, and evening appointments.
Life is waiting, it’s time to
Get Better.
peachtreeorthopedics.com
© PEACHTREE ORTHOPEDICS
L J
Georgia Primary Bank’s
15-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CD OFFER
2.65%
APY
10-Month Fixed Rate CD
Cheers to you!
We are continuing our!5-Year Anniversary celebration by
offering a new high-yield Anniversary CD.
Limited time only. Call or scan QR code to learn more.
Cumming location: 470-835-9980
MORE INFO
B GEORGIA
PRIMARY
2007 BANK 2022
Focused on You tor 15 Years
SCAN HERE
Minimum Deposit $1,000. Rate and Annual Percentage Yield (APY) are accurate as of 10/17/2022.
Product offerings may be withdrawn at any time. New money only. Fees and other conditions
may reduce earnings on accounts, ask for details. For other terms and conditions, please refer to
account disclosures available at account opening and upon request. A penalty may be imposed
for early withdrawals.