Chapter 714: Bats Bring Good Fortune

The oldest and most intense human emotion is fear, and the oldest and most intense fear is fear of the unknown.

This principle applies to wildlife as well!

Often, people's fear or even hostility towards animals stems from the unknown. As they learn more about these animals, unnecessary fears gradually dissipate.

For example, in the zoo's reptile and amphibian house, many people are initially afraid of snakes. Through educational displays and explanations from keepers, they learn that snakes won't attack unless provoked. Some snakes are even sociable and value family bonds.

Visitors can interact with animals like the pig-nosed snake, touching them personally.

Through this process, people become less afraid and understand that snakes are vital members of the ecosystem and should not be harmed unnecessarily.

Fang Ye smiled and said, "So, even though bats may look ugly, we shouldn't shun or harm them just because of their appearance."

Wang Yan agreed, "Director Fang explained it well.

Bats are actually very important keystone species. Although they are nocturnal and often go unnoticed, they play a huge role in the ecosystem."

The host leaned forward, showing keen interest: "Oh?"

Wang Yan continued, "Take mosquitoes, for example. Everyone dislikes mosquitoes, right?"

Fang Ye chimed in, "I especially hate mosquito bites! When a mosquito bites me, I get a huge welt, and I seem to attract them more than others. In a shared dormitory, mosquitoes bite me and not others."

In the zoo's well-maintained environment, mosquito bites are inevitable.

Fortunately, the system's lottery provided some mosquito-repellent incense, which was more effective than mosquito nets. Even with windows open, mosquitoes wouldn't fly in, allowing him to sleep peacefully.

Wang Yan explained, "Many bats feed on insects and are crucial in controlling insect populations, including mosquitoes, flies, moths, and various agricultural pests. Studies show that a bat can eat up to one-third of its body weight in insects each night.

To put this into perspective, a 20-gram bat can consume 200-1,000 small insects in one night, eating 15-20 mosquito-sized insects per minute.

In a neighborhood with about a dozen or twenty bats, they can eat tens of thousands of insects in one night. This doesn't even account for the offspring these insects would have produced.

Insects like mosquitoes reproduce quickly; a single blood meal can allow a mosquito to lay 200-300 eggs, which can hatch into adults in just ten days to two weeks.

Without bats, we would have to rely on insecticides or other methods to control these insects."

The host was genuinely surprised: "Are they really that effective?"

The show's popularity was soaring!

Many viewers were texting friends or calling family members to watch together.

Tang Xiaoxin, who was doing homework, was also called over to watch TV.

Initially, she found Fang Ye's comments amusing because she also attracted mosquitoes.

Hearing Wang Yan's explanation, she widened her eyes: "A single bat can eliminate thousands of mosquitoes in one night!"

Tang's mother recalled, "When I was young, there were many bats near our house, and I rarely got bitten by mosquitoes."

Tang Xiaoxin lamented, "Why don't we have bats here? It would be great if there were more bats; I wouldn't have to worry about mosquito bites at night!"

Tang's father pondered, "Bats are indeed rare now! If it weren't for the pandemic, I wouldn't have known there were bats in our neighborhood."

Tang Xiaoxin, having participated in farming activities and understanding the impact of fertilizers and insecticides on rice field ecosystems, speculated, "It's probably because of insecticides! Frogs and dragonflies are also hard to find now. Insecticides kill insects and poison bats."

She sighed regretfully, "What a pity!"

Wang Yan continued, "Without bats, the rampant spread of mosquitoes and flies would significantly increase our risk of infectious diseases, possibly by ten or even dozens of times.

Bats also control agricultural pests. In the Midwest of the U.S., a colony of 150 large brown bats can eat 150,000 leafhoppers, 190,000 cucumber beetles, 330,000 stink bugs, and 600,000 leaf beetles each year. If each female leaf beetle lays 110 eggs, they can prevent the birth of 33 million leaf beetle larvae, saving many crops like pumpkins and cucumbers."

Fang Ye added, "In Chinese culture, bats are often associated with good fortune. For example, during the Lunar New Year, we hang 'Fu' (fortune) characters decorated with bat images. Bats also appear on various objects and buildings. Gifts for elders often feature bats and deer, symbolizing 'Fu Lu Shou' (fortune, prosperity, and longevity).

It's not just because 'bat' (蝠) sounds like 'fortune' (福). Bats genuinely bring good luck by reducing the chances of mosquito-borne diseases and improving crop yields.

Think about it: if bats brought misfortune, would ancient people have used them as auspicious symbols? They might have called them 'evil bats' or 'ugly bats' instead."

"Wow!"

The TV audience gasped in amazement.

Having just dispelled some of their fears, they now had a completely new perspective on bats.

Those who had been adamant about driving away or killing bats now felt a twinge of regret!

They had driven away their good fortune!

"Yeah, bats have always been symbols of good luck. We've lived alongside them for so many years without any issues."

"I remember bats used to rest in our house when I was a kid, and they would leave after a night."

Wang Yan continued, "Besides eating insects, bats are prey for other carnivores like monkeys, raccoons, birds of prey, and snakes, with birds and snakes being their main predators. They are an essential part of the food web.

Bats are also important pollinators. Some bats feed on nectar and pollen.

Over long evolutionary periods, many plants have evolved flowers specifically to attract bats, often blooming at night. Examples include the baobab tree and certain cacti!

Some flowers are large with wide stamens, while others have outwardly extending petals, providing a platform for bats. As bats approach the flowers, pollen sticks to them.

Fruit-eating bats, which are numerous and fly far, disperse seeds that pass through their digestive systems.

For cave-dwelling bats, their guano accumulates at the cave floor, providing food for insects and fungi.

So, large-scale extermination of bats would severely impact the ecosystem."