SIR,

I was very interested in the article in the farming section of the Beacon last week which discussed the best type of fly treatment to use on livestock to prevent fly strike. The treatments are all chemicals, probably very expensive and possibly harmful to the environment.

However, there is a perfectly natural way to combat flies. A single bat consumes between 1000 to 2000 midges, mosquitoes and flies per night.

When you consider how many bats are in the UK, it does not take long to realise the value of bats to farmers and to us. Just imagine the amount of midges and flies we would have if we didn't have bats.

In some parts of the world bats are actively encouraged to reduce malaria and to prevent insect swarms destroying crops.

Encouraging bats around farms is very easy and could significantly reduce the number of flies, mosquitoes and midges therefore saving farmers money and the hassle of treating livestock.

Steve Wadley

(Monmouth)