International Bat Appreciation Day

17Apr,2025

International Bat Appreciation Day

BY : Rhiannon Nevinczenko

Happy International Bat Appreciation Day! You may be asking, "Why would anyone celebrate a thing like THAT?!"

That question is exactly why! Asking questions opens up opportunities to learn. So today, we will share how incredibly important and impactful bats are to our ecosystems and our lives.

Without further ado, here are some fast facts about bats!

• Pest control: Bats serve as pest control, collectively eating tens thousands of insects per night! (For example: One small brown bat can eat as many as 500 mosquitos in a night.) In fact, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, they save farmers $1 billion per year in pesticide costs and crop damage in the corn industry alone.

• Pollination: Not all bats eat bugs - some, like the one pictured, feed on nectar (like butterflies and hummingbirds do), thus acting as pollinators. Bats are known to pollinate bananas, peaches, cloves, and the agave plant (the star ingredient in tequila).

• Seed dispersal: Other bats enjoy eating fruits, rather than insects or nectar. These species play an integral role in seed dispersal. As much as 95% of the seeds sprouting in cleared rainforests were put there by fruit-loving bats!

Many species of bat are currently facing serious challenges, such as disease and habitat loss. By shedding light on their importance, we can shift our perspective and, where possible, our behavior. Whether you see them as "flying rats" or as "sky puppies," you have bats to thank for avocados, mangoes, bananas, chocolate, tequila, and so much more!

For more life science and biology, check out our lab kits and manuals!

Photograph credit: Erick Arce via Pexels (Pexels license).

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