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How many bugs per night do bats eat?



The ordinary bat is capable of eating over 100 percent of its body weight every night, and this is 1/2 once. One can consume over 1200 insects and bugs every hour. This means one bat can eat over 6,000 up to 8,000 insects or bugs each night.

The insects they eat may include fruit flies, mosquitoes, locusts, beetles, crickets, gnats and moths. The bats eat small bugs and insects, but there are a few others who have a different diet. The bats that consume insects and bugs are opportunistic, and they are able to consume anything that they can get their mouth on. It is believed that at least 4 tons of the insects can be consumed by the bats on an annual basis. When the bats are not around, it means that the number of insects can be too high.

The bats can eat two types of insects. There are those that eat only the insects when they are in the air, called aerial insects, and this means that the bats should have lightening speed to do this. They use their tail to get the insects and then they stop to eat them.

The bats may also eat ground dwelling insects, and they have to swoop down in order to get to them. They will stay on the ground in order to consume the insects and they continue the search. Some bats do not use the tail to capture the food but instead use their teeth.

Some bats may also feed on vertebrates, and they are known as carnivore bats. They can eat small birds, lizards and frogs. The bats may only eat the diet they are accustomed to, and for most bats this is a large number of insects every night.

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