Article: Farmer advocates bat houses as answer to pesky problem Eleva man says bats are valuable in eliminating blood-sucking insects

Leland Christenson, a farmer and businessman, is urging Wisconsinites to build bat houses somewhat larger than bird houses and specially designed for colonies of bats.

The typical bat can outmaneuver almost any other flying creature, eating mosquitoes and other pests that birds cannot catch, says Christenson, who has a degree in zoology.

"They're the farmers' best friend because they get rid of all the agricultural pests," Christenson said, "and they're recreationists' or hobby farmers' or urbanites' best friends because they get rid of all the pesky blood-sucking insects and nocturnal night-flying insects."

For instance, the little brown bat, Wisconsin's most-common species, can eat ...

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