Bats feed on codling moth pests in California walnut orchards

Insectivorous bats from a single colony can consume millions of insects a year and may play a key role in integrated pest management in agricultural systems. In ongoing studies in California’s Sacramento Valley, research documented that bats forage in walnut and pear orchards and feed on key codling moth (Cydia pomonella) pests. As a result of their voracious appetite for insects, bats should be protected and their activity encouraged to help with natural pest control on farms to minimze pesticide use. A 2011 report in Science Magazine suggests that bats in North America provide $3.7 billion dollars in pest control services each year.