Dispelling batty rumors

By Brian Reynolds (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Sunday, October 12, 2008

NATCHEZ — Many think of bats as blind, rabies-carrying blood suckers, but Kay McNeil looked to dispel many of those misconceptions during Historic Jefferson College’s explore program Saturday.

McNeil worked with the children in attendance, making small bats with clothespins and larger bats with large, hinged wings.

They also read poems, learned to separate fact from fiction and did other activities to teach the children about different species of the small flying mammals.

Max Thomas, one of the children who attended the program, said he was already interested in bats because he likes Batman and vampires. But he learned a lot of facts about real bats.

“Some have long tongues,” he said.

Sarah Cockerham also learned new facts about them.

“I learned that they’re the only mammal that can fly,” she said.

And the education was not limited to the children. McNeil said she learned a lot of new facts about bats while preparing for the class.

“Until I started studying to do this class, I didn’t think much of them,” she said. “I thought, ‘Eww, flying in your hair and rabies.’”

A lot of people share her original view of bats, because they are not informed of their good qualities. For instance, bats are very good at getting rid of insects and can do the job without chemicals.

“One little brown bat can eat over 600 mosquitoes in an hour, so they’re better than the pesticides,” she said.

She also showed the children how to make bat houses, though the adults in the room seemed to be more interested.

“I’d like to have a couple at my house,” said Bonnie Slavent, Cockerham’s grandmother. “I have quit putting so much poison around my house because it kills the little lizards and they eat lots of insects too.”

But there have been fewer and fewer bats around to act as living mosquito repellant, McNeil said. About 56 percent of bat species are endangered, and few people realize it.

“Because of the myths surrounding bats, we need to save them to keep them from become extinct,” McNeil said.

The next Explore program will be is on Native American crafts on Nov. 22.