Birds and Bats: Helpful or Harmful?
Bats and birds have a complex relationship with us human beings. There are many ways that these animals benefit us. However, they have been implicated in the spread of several dangerous diseases and parasites. If you have colonies of pest birds or bats -- or large amounts of their droppings -- on
Posted — UpdatedSeventy percent of bats are insectivores, eating an incredible 600-2000 insects per hour. They are extremely beneficial to humans in terms of insect control -- especially mosquitos (which may carry West Nile fever) and rootworms (dangerous to agricultural crops). Not only do bats save farmers from spending billions of dollars on pesticides every year, they also limit the amount of toxic chemicals that are released into the air.
Of the remaining 30 percent of the bat population, most are frugivores. This means that their foods are fruit, flower nectar, and pollen. In fact, these bats help humans in two other ways, by pollinating fruit-bearing plants and by spreading plant seeds.
Another disease which is associated with bats is histoplasmosis. Infected bats excrete histoplasmosis capsulation fungus in their guano. Inhaling the fungus' spores from large amounts of guano can cause illness, which starts in the lungs. It may progress to flu-like symptoms, and serious or even fatal illness in a small number of cases. The demographic groups most susceptible to histoplasmosis are the immune compromised, heavy smokers, the elderly, and infants.
In addition, birds like macaws, canaries, and budgerigars can develop communicative and even affectionate relationships with humans.
Pest birds produce excrement that is not just unsightly -- think of a stately statue covered with pigeon droppings -- but also hazardous and even deadly in some cases, albeit rare. Only mammals can contract and spread rabies, so this is not a potential threat from birds, as it is from bats.