Post #2956017

2026-05-03 10:39 UTC

@colinpurrington@flipping.rocks On my location (Northern Sweden), four to five nesting couples European pied flycatchers or one family of bats keep the yard free enough of mosquitos and black flies. No shade on using other methods where the fauna is different, though. Whatever works. Are you using chatgpt, though? Why?

Replies (2)

@colinpurrington@flipping.rocks 2026-05-03 11:12

@oz@mastodonsweden.se Here's another site that discusses whether birds and bats can control mosquitoes. But perhaps the species you have are exceptions? https://mosquitosite.russell.wisc.edu/preventing-mosquito-bites/bats-and-birds/

Open ##2956018
@colinpurrington@flipping.rocks 2026-05-03 14:04

@oz@mastodonsweden.se In response to your questions, "Are you using chatgpt, though? Why?" I got curious and asked it, "How many times have people on the internet claimed that bats help control mosquitoes?" It answered, "There isn’t any meaningful way to count how many times people on the internet have made that claim. It’s not a finite, trackable statistic—it’s more like asking “how many times has someone said ‘drink 8 glasses of water a day.’” But it then went on to estimate between "tens of thousands to millions of times online over decades."

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