DAVAO CITY – The Department of Biological Sciences of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in Kabacan, Cotabato province has introduced a sustainable farming practice to maximize insect-eating bats as natural pest control.

The innovation is not just helping farmers fight pests in the rice-producing town of Kabacan but it also promotes wildlife conservation, BatWise project team leader Dr. John Aries Tabora said.

Through the BatWise project, Tabora added, farmers learn to maximize the insect-eating bats in their natural pest control activities.

Under the project, bat houses are strategically installed in rice-farming communities where many of them are hiding at residential structures, he said.

The BatWise project has developed a method on how to attract bats into these customized houses, Tabora said.

“The project builds on previous research showing that the insectivorous bat Scotophilus kuhlii plays an important role in reducing insect pests in rice fields by conserving bats and increasing public awareness of their ecological benefits,” he said.

Under favorable conditions, Tabora said that nightly consumption of bats may reach 11,000 stem borer moths or 6,000 rice black bugs. “This shows the scale of biological suppression these insectivorous bats can provide.”

While feeding levels vary with pest density and colony activity, Tabora added, bats operate continuously through the night, offering natural pest control without repeated chemical applications.

Funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Tabora said they are hoping that the project can help reduce the farmers’ dependence on chemical pesticides as well as strengthen implementation of the municipal wildlife protection ordinance. He added that the project also aims to promote sustainable and economically viable rice production.

Each bat house is about P10,000 that includes the installation, materials, fabrication, and mounting. One house can accommodate up to 220 bats.

“Instead of depending solely on chemical pesticides, farming communities are exploring a nature-based alternative using the insect-eating bats,” said Tabora.

Tabora believes that a fully occupied colony can significantly reduce populations of major rice pests, including stem borer moths and rice black bugs.

He said that this innovation is specifically designed for rural settings for now and not for urban residential areas.

Tabora said bat houses are under pilot testing in three different locations in Kabacan. Information drives about the project are still being conducted in 10 barangays of Kabacan.

Tabora said that bats also produce a highly effective natural fertilizer known as guano. When properly handled, guano can serve as an organic soil input rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and essential micronutrients, he said.

“Taken together, the bat house represents more than a wooden structure. It embodies an integrated approach to farming linking research, policy, biodiversity conservation, and practical field applications to support sustainable rice production,” Tabora said.