LOCKHART, Texas – Troy Swift, owner of Swift River Pecans near Lockhart, Texas, is increasingly relying on a natural form of pest control: bats. After years of reducing chemical use in his orchard, Swift found that eliminating insecticides proved particularly challenging due to crop-damaging pests. This led him to collaborate with bat conservation scientists to encourage a thriving bat population on his 266-acre property.
The partnership began as a way to address the pecan nut casebearer moth, a significant threat to his pecan crop. Researchers, including Melissa Donnelly, a science specialist with Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation, have been studying the bats at Swift River Pecans to quantify their impact on pest populations. Donnelly and other scientists have been capturing and measuring evening bats, collecting data to demonstrate their value to the orchard’s ecosystem.
“Really, what we’re trying to do is figure out what agricultural pests they’re eating,” Swift said, according to reporting from Harvest Public Media. “And we have found they eat a lot of them.”
The research involves collecting samples of bat guano for DNA analysis, allowing scientists to identify the specific insects the bats are consuming. This data is crucial in proving the bats’ effectiveness as a natural pest control method. Janet Debelak Tyburec, of Bat Survey Solutions, has been involved in measuring the bats, gathering data on the species that frequent the orchard.
Donnelly explained that the evening bats, some no bigger than a clementine, are voracious insect eaters. “This is very typical of the species,” she said, while holding a captured bat. “They’ve got a lot to say all the time.”
The collaboration between Swift and the bat scientists highlights a growing trend among farmers seeking alternatives to traditional chemical pesticides. The success at Swift River Pecans could serve as a model for other agricultural operations looking to adopt more sustainable pest management practices. The findings from the ongoing research are expected to further solidify the role of bats in agricultural ecosystems.
Researchers continue to gather data at Swift River Pecans, with ongoing analysis of bat guano samples to determine the full extent of their pest control contributions.
