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Bat diets

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From: Sara Barlow City: Peoria, IL
I'm a graphic design student working on a flier to promote the use of bat houses on agricultural properties but I can't find specific information on exactly which insect crop pests comprise part of the diets of local bat species. Do bats only eat airborne insects (mosquitos and beetles, mayflies, etc) or do they also target grounded insects and crop worms?
	Extension Message From: Laura Kammin Visiting Extension Specialist, Pollution Prevention Extension-Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program lkammin@illinois.edu
Most target flying insects, but some species, such as the Northern bat, will glean prey off of leaves, tree trunks, or the ground. I'd recommend that you pick up a copy of "Field Manual of Illinois Mammals" by Joyce Hofmann. It lists all the native bat species and provides lists of the different insects that they eat.
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