Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-06
BATS AND MOSQUITOES
L Leather,~inss Hold MalariaI Fevers in
Check,

/ 49,
| Check.
Dr. Charles A. r. Campbell, Of San
Antonio, Texas, is what might be term
ed a batalogist. Several years ago his
observation of bats as insect destroy
ers suggested to him that they might be
put to practical use in destroying mos
quitoes. A series Of experiments con-
vinced him, and also others.
He Is now planning, says special
to the New York World. to make, un-
der the auspices Of the louisiana au-
! thorities, tests in the mosquito districts
Of that state similar to those he has
made successfully in the vicinity of
San Antonio. DR.. Campbell had con-
ference with Gov. Hall, of Louisiana
on the subject, and the mosquito COM
mission recently created by the Louis
lana legislature will come to San An
tonic and inspect the method Of opera
ton.
The so-called day mosquitoes in the
south are known to be non-infectious,
while the mosquitoes that fly by night
carry malaria and other fever germs.
Bats do all their flying by night, and
the mosquitoes they feed upon are the
ones which breed sickness.
DR.. Campbell began his experiments
about five years ago in the Mitchell's
Lake district, near San Antonio which
wss infested at that time with hordes
Of the little insects. He erected bat
roosts and stocked them. In q short
time the decrease Of mosquitoes in that
locality began to be noticeable, and
finally they were completely eradicated.
The main bat roost Is on the shore
of the lake, ten miles south of town. The
roost is set on four posts about ten feet
high. The structure itself is about
twenty feet high, pyramidal In form,
twelve feet square at the base, and six
feet at the apex. The walls are Slated
so as to permit the free entrance and
exit of the bats. The interior is fitted
with wire netting, in which the animals
hang.
DR.. Campbell has found that one bat
will get away with about 26O mosqui-
toes in a night. AS the roost accom-
modates 1000, 900 bats, it means a total
of approximately 260,OO0,00O mosqui-
toes nightly.
Besides their use as mosquito exter-
minators, the bats are Of great hygenic
value in other respects, according to
Dr. Campbell. They prey upon many
nocturnal insects that are not only a
menace to the health Of humans, but
are destroyers of crops.
The roosts which DR.. Campbell has
in operation were stocked by bats col
lected from caves and old buildings
around San Antonio. All throughout
southwest Texas, particularly in the
hilly country, there are caves inhabit-
ed by bats; and wherever one of these
rendezvous is situated, 1t is noticeable
that the territory around is free of
mosquitoes.
DR.. Campbell several years ago OBJ
served that in some of the old lofts and
unoccupied buildings in San Antonio.
which were used as roosts by bats,
there ws.s an absence of mosquitoes,
and that the people living around there
were exempt from malaria and other
fevers. On farm home about five miles
west Of town was a wooden tank filled
with water by windmill, and also
storage tank from which the land was
irrigated. Both being open, they were
ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes,
but not one could be found in the neigh
borhood. The upper part Of an old barn
on the place was roost for great num-
bers Of bats and there were no mosqui-
toes around. The barn being torn down |
and the bat roost destroyed, almost
Immediately the mosquitoes swarmed
and malaria appeared.