A beautiful sight

[Mel Fulks]

Look at Perky's bat tower in Florida. I think it might have been the inspiration for the Transamerica building. Can't find any mention of that, though. Bats declined to live in it but it's a popular tourist attraction. I wonder how the "Roach Motels" are doing!

[Rich Riddle]

I have memories of bats diving at our swimming pool when a child.....you'd see them inbound and under the water you'd go. I am sure they serve a purpose, but with that philosophy so do insects. My wife was rather excited when she saw bats at our home a few weeks ago. They too had disappeared for a long time. They remind me of Dracula.

[John K Jordan]

...I am sure they serve a purpose, but with that philosophy so do insects...

Without insects life on this planet would not be the same.

Without termites to handle fallen trees, leaves and branches all the forests would be choked to death. There would be no woodworking forums.
1/4-1/3 of our food supply would be gone without honeybees.
Certain insects (e.g., ladybugs) eat a huge number of insects harmful to plants.
The flies in my horse pasture are effectively controlled by tiny wasps that I buy 10,000 at a time and spread around every month.
Without insects many animal species would become extinct. Some animals eat animals that eat insects. That probably includes us.

The uninformed often indiscriminately fear and hate all insects in near them with no regard for the bigger picture of the ecosystem. Here is a simplified thing that almost anyone can understand: https://www.nwf.org/Kids/Ranger-Rick...-Are-Bugs.aspx Google as much more.

JKJ

[Malcolm McLeod]

Without insects life on this planet would not be the same...

True, but I wonder how many people have died from mosquito-borne illnesses?

And I will mourn only a couple of seconds for the exodus of fire ants from the cycle of life. At least from Texas.

[John K Jordan]

True, but I wonder how many people have died from mosquito-borne illnesses?
And I will mourn only a couple of seconds for the exodus of fire ants from the cycle of life. At least from Texas.

I certainly agree with the fire ant sentiment. I would probably agree more vocally if they were common here in TN. Haven't found any mounds yet. I feel the same about yellow jacket hornets because of allergies although I did see them in the garden before we got honeybees, hopefully pollinating.

For the mosquitoes, it comes a full circle. We need more bats! IMHO, of course.

JKJ