In some areas, such as the Chautauqua summer resort in New York, pesticides are not used. For over 50 years bats have been encouraged to live there and offer an alternative to chemical control of mosquitoes. The bats are very successful at this task. Pallid bats live mostly in the western United States in arid regions below 6,000 feet. These bats feed almost entirely on ground dwelling insects, scorpions, and centipedes.
Many bats also are important plant pollinators and seed dispersers especially in tropical areas.
Throughout these areas fruit and nectar eating bats are vital for plant survival. Some of the plants that bats pollinate and aid in seed dispersal, are vital to the entire ecosystem of a forest. Many plants bloom at night and use special odors or flower shapes to attract bats. A good example of this is the baobab tree of the east African Savannah. In order to reach the plant s nectar upon which it feeds, it must contact the flower s reproductive organs in order to pollinate the plant.