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At a time when concern over the proliferation of mosquitos is at its highest so far this year in the Region of Murcia, due to swarms of the insects hatching after eggs were laid in stagnant water following the gota fría storm which caused widespread flooding a month ago, the Town Hall of Águilas has installed various “bat boxes” in the area around the castle of San Juan de las Águilas in an effort to combat the spread of the troublesome species.
The wooden boxes have been built as part of a collaboration agreement between the Town Hall and the Águilas mental health association AFEMAC and were installed on Thursday to coincide with World Mental Health Day. The dual aims of the initiative are to reduce the nuisance caused by mosquitos and by the processionary caterpillars which inhabit the pine grove where the boxes have been put in place and also to help protect the various species of bats living in the south-west of Murcia.
A fully-grown bat is capable of eating 1,000 mosquitos in a day, a figure which rises to 3,000 in the case of females during the breeding season, and for this reason efforts have been made in various municipalities in Murcia to help the mammals prosper.
At the same time, of course, the initiative is beneficial and provides therapeutic activity to those suffering from mental health problems in Águilas, allowing them to make a visible contribution to local society.
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