Bats aid sustainable viticulture in California

The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing and the California Sustainable Winegrowing Practices programmes has formally recognised the role of bats for pest control management when it comes to sustainable viticulture in the American wine region of California.

At a recent meeting of growers organised by the Lodi Winegrape Commission, a local bat expert pointed out ways to encourage the presence of bats in the vineyards and the benefits they will have. During the growing season, every bat eats approximately its own weight in insects every night, but attracting bats to the vineyard is the challenge.

Creating an ecosystem that involves water helps to promote riparian vegetation for the bats and oak trees can provide ideal roosting sites, as do attics of barns and other structures, but stand-alone bat houses generally don’t work very well.