chauve-souris

wing beats at dusk

circling above backyards

– mosquitoes beware!

The other day I was delighted to see several bats flying around my backyard. They have had a hard go, and bats in our part of the world are just not that common. I love watching them zip around just after the sun sets. We have a LOT of mosquitoes this summer, and while I am an entomologist, I don’t enjoy the harassment by biting flies! I read somewhere that bats can eat hundreds of flying insects in an hour. They are a terrific natural remedy for mosquitoes.

I used the French name for bats as the title of this post. I like it better than the English common name. The literal translation of chauve-souris is ‘bald mouse’. While bats are not generally bald, they are mouse-like. I’m sure there is a good origin story about the chauve part – perhaps someone can share it. Little flying mice is kind of a nice image though!

Bats do freak some people out, but I have found that people who are scared of bats have, in their past, experienced bats getting inside a house or cabin or cottage. Having a bat indoors is an unusual, frightening affair. Bats are best outdoors.

© Christopher M Buddle 2023