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Prof Ara Mondajem (University of Swaziland), Ms Stephanie Roberts (Subtropical Growers Association technical advisor) and Prof Peter Taylor (University of Venda) at a farmers’ study group meeting in Levubu. Photo supplied.

Univen researchers launch bat bio-control project

 
A team of researchers from the Department of Ecology and Resource Management is collaborating with various universities to investigate the potential use of bats as biological control agents for insect pests in macadamia orchards. The team consists of the University of Venda´s Proff Peter Taylor, Jacques van Heerden and Mr Koos Steyn, the University of Swaziland´s Prof Ara Monadjem and Kwazulu-Natal´s Dr Corrie Schoeman. It has already been determined that bats do forage in crop fields and orchards and that potential macadamia pests such as bugs and moths make up a large part of their diet. The project aims to investigate how much of their foraging time bats spend in orchards and how much of their diet is made up of pest insects. These can by determined by radio tracking the bats during foraging by using micro radio transmitters and a bat detector (which records their echolocation) and conducting DNA analyses on their faeces to determine what species of insects they eat during foraging. Management strategies can then be adopted to benefit bat populations, such as the strategic placing of bat roosts and planning spraying programmes, so that these will not coincide with peak feeding periods of bats. Anyone interested in bats is welcome to call Prof Taylor (083 792 4810), Koos Steyn (084 616 2958) or Prof Van Heerden (082 576 8414) for enquiries. As the researchers are conducting a survey on bat roosts in the area, anyone (especially farmers) who knows about bat roosts on their property (houses, caves etc) should please inform the researchers about this. Some interesting facts about bats are that they are indicators of a healthy ecosystem, because they are at the top of the food chain and are dependent on the health, variety and abundance of the trophic levels below them. Fifty-six species of bats reside in South Africa and they provide important ecosystem services such as seed distribution, pollination, guano-fertiliser and insect control. Bats are extremely clean animals, groom themselves constantly and are highly intelligent mammals which are extremely gentle in captivity.

News - Date: 04 June 2010

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Nic Hoffmann

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