Bats such as the common noctule consume pest insects over intensively managed arable land and thereby support sustainable agriculture. A new study led by scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) and the University of Potsdam shows that 23 percent of the insect species consumed by common noctules in north-eastern Germany are pests. Yet, agriculture can only benefit from this free service provided by bats if there are sufficient near-natural habitats in the vicinity of agricultural land. This is where common noctules hunt disproportionately often.