 Do you have a fear of bats? Many of us have these fears, but these fears are unfounded. Movies have made us think that bats are out to get us by sucking our blood, giving us rabies, or flying into our hair. However, these tiny flying mammals should not be considered pests. Scary tales of bat attacks are simply untrue. Vampire bats do suck blood, are not found in the United States, and do not prey on humans, but on wild and domestic animals instead. Even though bats are not blind, they use echolocation to navigate and locate their prey instead of their eyes. Echolocation involves the bat emitting ultrasonic sound pulses that bounce off objects and return as echoes to the bat's ears. These echoes are used to capture an insect or avoid running into objects in the environment such as our hair. Did you know a single bat can eat up to 600 mosquitoes in an hour? Nearly all Wyoming bats are insect eating and can consume up to 50% of their body weight in a single night, making them an excellent natural insect control mechanism. And were you aware that some bats are responsible for pollinating plants in desert and tropical regions? So the next time you see a bat, take time to appreciate all the benefits they provide. From the University of Wyoming Extension, I'm Brian Sebade, Exploring the Nature of Wyoming.