A Miami Beach commissioner wants to deploy bats to fight Zika

<p>Bats might be the newest way to combat Zika-infected mosquitoes in Miami.</p><p>At least,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/elected/group4/" target="_blank">one city official</a>&nbsp;would like them to be.&nbsp;</p><p>Because bats eat mosquitoes, the Miami Beach commissioner wants the city to&nbsp;<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/bats-proposed-latest-weapon-fight-zika-virus-miami/story?id=42905072" target="_blank">build bat houses</a>&nbsp;to attract the mammals to the area.&nbsp;</p><p><b>SEE MORE: <a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/bats-can-adapt-to-listen-around-noisy-humans/">Bats Can Learn To Put Up With Us Noisy Humans</a></b></p><p>Back in July,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/the-first-cases-of-locally-transmitted-zika-are-confirmed-in-florida/" target="_blank">health officials confirmed</a>&nbsp;mosquitoes in Florida were&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0729-florida-zika-cases.html" target="_blank">carrying the Zika virus</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Soon after, the CDC issued&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/intheus/florida-update.html" target="_blank">travel advisories</a>, and Miami officials&nbsp;<a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/miami-beach-just-completed-its-first-aerial-spray-for-zika/" target="_blank">sprayed insecticide</a>&nbsp;in an attempt to kill the Zika-carrying mosquitoes. But it didn&#39;t work so well in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/miami-beach-starts-spraying-zika-mosquitoes-after-protest-n645516" target="_blank">part of Miami Beach</a>.</p><p>There are some hitches to the bat proposal, though.&nbsp;</p><p>The American Mosquito Control Association&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mosquito.org/faq#bats" target="_blank">says on its website</a>&nbsp;that bats are &quot;opportunistic feeders,&quot; meaning they&#39;ll eat whatever they come across first not just mosquitoes.&nbsp;</p><p><b>SEE MORE: <a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/0524mosquito/">When It Comes To Insect Repellent, Natural Isn't Always Better</a></b></p><p>Aerially sprayed pesticides also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fws.gov/northeast/ecologicalservices/ecissues/wns.html" target="_blank">weaken a bat&#39;s immune system</a>&nbsp;and make them more susceptible to diseases.</p><p>A town in New York has used bats to combat mosquitoes&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/nyregion/devouring-1000-mosquitoes-an-hour-bats-are-now-welcome-guests-as-zika-fears-rise.html?_r=0" target="_blank">since 2007</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>A city commission passed the proposal<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/bats-proposed-latest-weapon-fight-zika-virus-miami/story?id=42905072" target="_blank">&nbsp;on to Miami-Dade County</a>, whose officials will decide if it gets implemented. As of Oct. 19, all of the U.S.&#39;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html" target="_blank">128 locally acquired cases</a>&nbsp;of Zika are in Florida.</p><hr><b>Trending stories at <a href="http://www.newsy.com">Newsy.com</a></b><ul class="inline-related-links"><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/how-immigrants-helped-create-the-chicago-style-hot-dog/">Drag It Through The Garden: The Chicago Hot Dog&#039;s Immigrant History</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/does-adding-police-officers-reduce-crime/">Does Adding Police Reduce Crime? In Chicago, It&#039;s Complicated</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/uss-detroit-is-one-of-the-navy-s-most-advanced-warships/">Inside The USS Detroit One Of The Navy&#039;s Most Advanced Warships</a></li></ul>