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style=3D"FONT-STYLE: italic"> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------060006070801060408040007 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I understand that dragonflies eat the mosquito larvae. I remember that Purple Martins were formerly thought to be good for mosquito control. Subsequent studies of their eating habits indicated they ate a large number of dragonflies, which would certainly not be good for keeping mosquito numbers down. Don Don MacNeill donmacneill@bellaliant.net On 08/07/2013 7:02 PM, Dave&Jane Schlosberg wrote: > What DOES eat mosquitoes? > *From:* James W. Wolford <mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca> > *Sent:* Monday, July 08, 2013 1:06 PM > *To:* NatureNS <mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> ; Fred Scott > <mailto:fwscott@eastlink.ca> > *Subject:* [NatureNS] re bats vs. mosquitoes? > THANKS, FRED! from Jim et al. > Begin forwarded message: > >> *From: *fred scott <fwscott@eastlink.ca <mailto:fwscott@eastlink.ca>> >> *Date: *July 8, 2013 11:59:47 AM ADT >> *To: *Hugh Broders <Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA >> <mailto:Hugh.Broders@SMU.CA>>, "James W. Wolford" >> <jimwolford@eastlink.ca <mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca>>, Nature BNS >> <nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca <mailto:nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca>> >> *Cc: *Mark F Elderkin <elderkmf@gov.ns.ca >> <mailto:elderkmf@gov.ns.ca>>, Andrew Hebda <HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca >> <mailto:HEBDAAJ@gov.ns.ca>>, Donald McAlpine >> <Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca <mailto:Donald.McAlpine@nbm-mnb.ca>> >> *Subject: **RE: re bats endangered -- good for other insectivores??* >> Hi all, >> >> Hugh is quite right. The idea that insectivorous bats in North >> America feed on mosquitoes is a myth derived from a gross >> misunderstanding of a single old paper that provided the numbers of >> mosquitoes eaten in one night by a captive big brown bat (Eptesicus >> fuscus). It would normally prey on much larger insects, but made do >> with mosquitoes because that was all it was offered. Also, it is a >> much larger animal than the little brown, long-eared and tricolored >> bats in NS. >> >> In fact the vast majority of the feeding time of insectivorous bats >> is spent well above the zones where mosquitoes are found. Even when >> bats forage within a meter or two of the forest canopy, there are no >> mosquitoes there because there are no sleeping warm-blooded animals >> in the air—they are all down in the foliage. The bats will take a >> mosquito if they come across one, but to seek them out they would >> have to dodge and flutter through cluttered environments under trees >> and shrubs, or within a foot or two of the grass on fields or >> meadows, and it wouldn't be an energetically efficient way to forage, >> especially for such a small protein package. >> >> It is also wrongly believed by many that swallows and swifts eats >> large amounts of mosquitoes, but they normally feed high in the open >> air, well away from any zone where mosquitoes would be hanging out. >> Mosquitoes normally rest on vegetation until some disturbance or >> signal that could mean a blood meal stimulates them to take wing and >> seek it out. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Fred --------------060006070801060408040007 Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit <html> <head> <meta content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <div class="moz-cite-prefix"><font face="Calibri">I understand that dragonflies eat the mosquito larvae. I remember that </font>Purple Martins were formerly thought to be good for mosquito control. Subsequent studies of their eating habits indicated they ate a large number of dragonflies, which would certainly not be good for keeping mosquito numbers down.<br> <br> Don<br> <br> <div class="moz-signature">Don MacNeill donmacneill@bellaliant.net</div> On 08/07/2013 7:02 PM, Dave&Jane Schlosberg wrote:<br> </div> <blockquote cite="mid:A5D4D48232F6427990FAD6FE681C37CE@DavidPC" type="cite"> <div dir="ltr"> <div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000"> <div>What DOES eat mosquitoes?</div> <div style="FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; DISPLAY: inline"> <div style="FONT: 10pt tahoma"> <div> </div> <div style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5"> <div style="font-color: black"><b>From:</b> <a moz-do-not-send="true" title="jimwolford@eastlink.ca" href="mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">James W. Wolford</a> </div> <div><b>Sent:</b> Monday, July 08, 2013 1:06 PM</div> <div><b>To:</b> <a moz-do-not-send="true" title="naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" href="mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">NatureNS</a> ; <a moz-do-not-send="true" title="fwscott@eastlink.ca" href="mailto:fwscott@eastlink.ca">Fred Scott</a> </div> <div><b>Subject:</b> [NatureNS] re bats vs. mosquitoes?</div> </div> </div> <div> </div> </div> <div style="FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; DISPLAY: inline">THANKS, FRED! from Jim et al.<br> <div> <div> </div> <div>Begin forwarded message:</div> <br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> <blockquote type="cite"> <div style="MARGIN: 0px"><font style="COLOR: #000000;