Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

When it comes to housing, bats are adaptable. In Texas, for example, millions of Mexican free-tailed bats live comfortably in crevices under bridges.

06—We know from our studies of bats that there’s a very high percentage, especially in Central Texas that, if you build it they will come.

Bat attracting bridges go up annually in Texas, and Mark Bloschock (bloss-shock), says in order to accommodate bats’ needs, he would “listen” to them.

18—Bats can’t speak to us in English, so they can’t tell us whether this housing that they find in the made environment – or let’s say the man-made environment – is preferred housing or whether it’s desperation housing. But when they go in there to raise their young in these nursery colonies, we think that it must be preferred housing.

Bloschock retired from TxDot, where he was a civil engineer, and dealt with bats and bridges. It generally doesn’t cost more to construct bat friendly bridges, yet when bats colonize under them, especially in agricultural areas, everyone profits thanks to their voracious appetite for insect pests.

11—And that means the farmers have to spray less insecticides, or they spray significantly less insecticides. It’s good for us because we eat food with less use of insecticides and we eat food that’s produced cheaper.

You don’t have to build a bridge in your backyard to attract bats; a bat house will do nicely. Go to batcon.org for more information.

That’s our show…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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