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Bats eat insects -- lots of them! Look for bats feeding at night in fields, under
streetlights and over ponds and streams. This is good for us, as bats control the pest
populations. This is bad news for bats when we use pesticides. Pesticides are Poison to Bats
Humans use pesticides to kill insects that harm crops. Bats are very sensitive to
pesticides and pollution. When bats eat these insects, the poisons build up in their
bodies and can make them ill and even kill them.
Bats store fat to survive the cold winter and long migrations. Pesticides cling to body
fat and milk. So, the more pesticide-laden insects a bat eats, the more poisons it will
stockpile in its body fat. When bats burn the fat for energy, pesticides are released into
their bloodstream, poisoning the bats. Nursing young also receive pesticides through the
mother bat's fat-rich milk.
Return to Bat Habitat Quiz |
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