We Owe It All to These OGs of Pest Control
At Team Bug Out, we like to think of ourselves as the best in the pest control business, but we’re hardly the first. That honor goes to nature’s original pest control specialists: Bats, opossums, owls, frogs, and snakes — natural predators who feast upon all the pesky creepy-crawlies we’ve made it our business to control. In honor of our forebears in pest control, here’s a look at nature’s top exterminators.
Mosquito Crushing Machines
Scientists have calculated bats’ insect-eating speed at around 600 critters per hour. In addition to mosquitos, bats love to chomp on beetles, moths, and more. Some bats even eat larger creatures, like fish, birds, frogs and lizards. And, of course, the infamous vampire bats of Brazil, who are the only mammals known to subsist entirely on a diet of blood (but don’t worry, they don’t drink human blood… very often…)
Oh, Opossum, What Big Teeth You Have
Opossums (or just “possums” if you want to omit the O) look like fierce killers, and in this case, looks are anything but deceptive. Feasting on small rodents, insects, worms, slugs, snails, frogs, and birds, opossums are voracious omnivores. Yes, that’s right, they also eat veggies and fruits, nuts and seeds. Contrary to popular belief, opossums are resistant to the rabies virus and are rarely found to be carriers of the disease. No, they kill other animals the old-fashioned way — with their claws and teeth.
Who–Who–Who’s Been Eating All the Mice?
Owls, that’s who–who–who. As birds of prey, owls love to munch on mice, shrews, and voles, as well as fish and all kinds of insects. As nocturnal creatures, owls go hunting at night when many animals are sleeping, and they’ve developed a variety of hunting styles. Some owls will snatch smaller birds or insects right out of the air, whereas others will wade into the water to catch fish, snakes, crayfish, or frogs.
The Only Thing That Croaks More Than Frogs: Their Prey
Frogs are our friendly friends who love to snack on small annoyances, like crickets, mealworms and waxworms, locusts, grasshoppers, caterpillars, all kinds of worms and occasionally small mice. Frogs also make excellent pets, but don’t go dumping your table scraps in the terrarium. Frogs are strictly meat eaters, so you should never try to feed them a mixed diet.
Did Sssomeone Sssay Sssnakes?
A pet for those who aren’t so faint of heart, in the wild snakes eat a wide variety of prey, but every species has different preferences. Some like eggs, others worms, and still others fish. Some even eat other snakes. Many species feast on rodents like mice and rats, making snakes one of mankind’s greatest pest controllers.
At JP Pest Services, we have a high degree of respect for animal life, especially the kind that helps us do our job (and never asks for a pay raise). That’s why we take a holistic approach to pest control, called Integrated Pest Management, which prioritizes nontoxic, nonlethal methods of pest control over traps and poisons.
If your property can use an extra boost of pest control protection, consider the modern approach and Tell Us What’s Bugging You today.
