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As tropical forest fragmentation accelerates, scientists are concerned with the loss of species, particularly those that play important ecological roles. Because bats play a vital role as the primary seed dispersers in cleared areas, maintaining healthy bat populations is critical to natural forest regeneration. Observations of foraging bats suggest that many Neotropical fruit‐eating species have fairly general habitat requirements and can forage in many different kinds of disturbed vegetation; however, their roosting requirements may be quite different. To test whether or not general foraging requirements are matched by equally broad roosting requirements, we used radiotelemetry to locate roost sites of two common frugivorous bat species (Sturnira lilium and Artibeus intermedius) in a fragmented forest in southeastern Mexico. Sturnira lilium roosted inside tree cavities and selected large‐diameter roost trees in remnant patches of mature forest. Fewer than 2 percent of trees surveyed had a mean diameter equal to or greater than roost trees used by . S. lilium, Artibeus intermedius roosted externally on branches and vines and under palm leaves and selected roost trees of much smaller diameter. Compared to random trees, roost trees chosen by A. intermedius were closer to neighboring taller trees and also closer in height to these trees. Such trees likely provide cryptic roosts beneath multiple overlapping crowns, with sufficient shelter from predators and the elements. While males of A. intermedius generally roosted alone in small trees within secondary forest, females roosted in small groups in larger trees within mature forest and commuted more than three times farther than males to reach their roost sites. Loss of mature forest could impair the ability of frugivorous bats to locate suitable roost sites. This could have a negative impact on bat populations, which in turn could decrease forest regeneration in impacted areas.

Stormwater best management practices have helped to address environmental concerns regarding peak water flows and accumulation of sediment and contamination by pollutants, but often overlook potential public health repercussions such as creating habitat for virus-carrying mosquitoes. Retention ponds frequently hold standing water for more than two weeks during the mosquito breeding season, creating development habitat for the aquatic stages of West Nile virus vectors. To avoid this problem, knowledge of vector ecology should be incorporated in the design of best management practices and integrated stormwater management plans. An integrated approach that incorporates hydrological management of water depth, flow, and surface agitation combined with manipulation of native biota and habitats based on the unique ecology and behaviour of the vector species can deter egg-laying mosquitoes by mimicking natural processes. Such an approach could help prevent disease transmission and alleviate the need for widespread application of pesticides.

In this study, we explore the potential of a commercially available mechanical mosquito control device, the Liberty Plus Mosquito Magnet (hereafter referred to as Mosquito Magnet), to reduce the abundance of adult nuisance mosquito populations in public recreational areas. Mosquitoes were trapped on 2 replicate sites close to a campground at Brae Island Regional Park near Fort Langley, British Columbia, Canada. Each site comprised a treatment (Mosquito Magnets used) and control subsection (Mosquito Magnets not used). Mosquito numbers were assessed before and after the treatment period in both subsections at each site with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) black light traps. Although nearly 200,000 mosquitoes from 14 different species were collected over 366 trap-nights from May 31 to July 31, 2008, the majority of those identified were Aedes sticticus (68%) and Ae. vexans (22%)-2 of the most notorious nuisance mosquito species in British Columbia. The number of mosquitoes captured by CDC black light traps increased overall during the study period due to natural seasonal variation. Nevertheless, a significant treatment effect (P = 0.0389) was associated with an average decrease of about 32% in the average number of adult mosquitoes collected per day. These results strongly suggest that Mosquito Magnets can reduce the abundance of nuisance mosquitoes, potentially reducing the biting pressure on the public, and providing another tool in mosquito control operations.