Why Applejack Had a Sense of Urgency to Act in "Bats"

[A Talking Dragon 257]

I wasn't planning on making this topic, but I've notices some backlash against Applejack recently on this board, to the point of mud slinging and even a topic made expressing out right hatred for the farm pony. So I made this to try to balance all that. These are the reasons why I think Applejack had to act with a sense of urgency to round up all the bats and get them away from the farm.

 

 

- The vampire bats weren't responding to Fluttershy's attempt to communicate with them, and she didn't seem to have much confidence in stating the issue to Applejack. Fluttershy failing to communicate with creatures is not an oddity in the show, and has happened twice already (Best Night Ever, Return to Harmony part 1), four if you count the Hydra from ep. 15 and Greed dragon Spike from S2 ep 10.

 

- The rate the vampire fruit bats were taking in the apples was quite startling. It was stated that vampire bat Fluttershy, alone, would take down AJ's entire crop.

 

- The vampire bats had come before and had greatly affected the apples pulled that year.

 

- Applejack has had to deal with several creatures that have done damage to her orchard in the past: the Parasprites (ep.10), bunnies (ep.23), caterpillars, (S2 ep.13), and beavers (S3 ep.10). Each time she was forced to act with a sense of urgency to save her crops. Many of these are creatures Fluttershy is also fond off.

 

- The west orchard was already given to the fruit bats and they haven't left yet. Granny Smith stated that they haven't been able to "tend to" those fields since they got "filled up" with the fruit bats (Apple Family Reunion). So if these vampire fruit bats decided to stay at the only source of apples in Ponyvile, then another part of the orchard is permanently lost.

 

- It's been stated that the Apple family heavily rely on popularity of Cider sales to put them through the winter. The Zap apples only come around every few years and can't be relied on as a source (S2 ep.13). If their profit margins are significantly affected then their ability to maintain Sweet Apples Acres falls to the wayside. There are signs too that the Apple family doesn't have a lot of backup money to relay on, otherwise tools would be replaced and Granny could get that needed surgery (Ticket Master).

 

- Applejack is alone during this bucking season, so she can only get to so many of the good trees (Applebuck Season) and would need to pull out all the stops to deal with any crisis that arises since her family isn't with her.

 

- The Vampire Fruit Bats have never been stated to eat just apples. Wouldn't AJ's farm have long since been swarmed by them as the only apple farm around if they did?

 

There are other factors too, like keeping the bats to one part, the way the seeds need to be planned, spreading diseases to the other animals, and the growth rate of trees, but since I'm not a farmer, I can't speak to these.

 

Overall, I'm not saying Fluttershy's view is wrong, just that Applejack had good reasons to act the way she did, even if that included sing a song with a dark backdrop.

 

-

Edited January 1, 2014 by A Talking Dragon

[Malinter 3,064]

The bats were lucky, AJ just wanted them gone, not dead, thats quite merciful considering their last visit forced them to ration apples.

 

If something like that were to happen on a human farm, they'd just flat out poison/kill the pest in question outright.

[hawkflame 3,310]

I made this point earlier and I'm not sure how many picked up on it. It seems to me that given how fast the apples were being consumed, the only reason the sanctuary idea even had time to work was because Fluttershy *bought* time due to the stare. Without the stare, the bats would have just gone through much of the rest of the orchard.

[Scootalove 10,689]

Both of them had good points, but I think that Applejack wanted the bats gone because she didn't want them to affect her orchard and eat all of the apples even if the seeds from the apples could grow more apple trees. The sanctuary idea had time to work because, of Fluttershy's stare even with the Twilight's first experience using the spell she used. The bats would have demolished the rest of the orchard.

[Guest90210 3,569]

Well said. Fluttershy's plan really didn't make much sense in the short term which is what was most important to Applejack at the time.

[FlutterDash4072 189]

I agree with Applejack 100%, those bats were a menace and had to go. The only way Fluttershy's sanctuary idea would work in real life is if they were relocated far away from the orchard.

[Denim&Venöm 19,754]

They also had to consider the economic impact that would've had on the region. Ponyville was built around the Apple family farm. A loss of a years crop would negatively effect prices and supply for the entire town, and if other towns had to give aid in order to pick up the slack, the whole region would adversely be effected. 

[FNGRpony 658]

It's a fun episode if you don't think about it.

 

I mean, the bats were jerks.  we never see why they should have put up with them past 
"twilight rolled a natural 1 on casting her spell."  (scuse my dnd speak).

 

and the mis hap is well, stupid.  It bounced off the bats because of ... their sonic hearing?  erm why?

I'm not sure.

 

like it's under pants gnome territory.

 

step one fluter shy's stare

 

step 2.......

 

step 3 flutter bat (aka profit).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH6u4grpRyI

 

i concur

Edited January 2, 2014 by FNGRpony

[CT-1138 3,184]

I was just going to create a thread, but this thread seems close enough to the topic I wished to discuss. To me, the episode really seemed to parallel the concept of farmers VS the wolf. In this case, farmers VS the vampire fruitbat, the farmers (the Apples) are worried for their crop and so are very willing to react to any threat to the orchard, which they need every last resource of to survive. It's been suggested several times in the show that, like real life family farms, the Apples live on a very fixed income. All repairs to the farm are on a basis of which ones are more important, and all repairs are done by family and friends, even including rebuilding if necessary. As the OP said, the bats are only contributing to the list of other "varmants" that feed on the Apple's crops. In response, Applejack is going to think of the easiest way to get rid of the problem as quickly as possible, not worrying about the long term effects.

Edited January 2, 2014 by Dinos4Ever

[Cantankerous 106]

The lesson of the episode makes sense. Applejack should have listened to Fluttershy, so she could figure out a way to turn the bats into an advantage. Fluttershy's suggestion of building a sanctuary was shot down by Applejack, who said it would take too long. But she didn't know that, it was just an unwarranted assumption she used to dismiss her suggestion off hand. She wasn't listening. Even if that plan wouldn't have worked, Fluttershy could have come up with something else. But again, Applejack wouldn't have it, unable to think in anything but the short term- a dangerous mind-set for a business person such as herself. Yes, there are a number of things that would need to be ironed out, as you have elegantly elucidated, and I don't blame Applejack (or the others) for acting the way they did, but she should have taken the opinion of Fluttershy, the animal expert, seriously.  

 

All of that said, I do sympathize with your frustration. Applejack's actions were not unreasonable, just not completely wise. 

 

Lastly, it's precisely the fact that there is so much here to consider, so much complexity to fuel an honest debate, that makes this a good, perhaps even great, episode. 

Edited January 3, 2014 by ByTheTides

[Jamesblorg39welsh 125]

I never really got the hatred for am whenever she does something to animals Mayberry it's just because flutters is so over protected *puts on anti hate armor

[Winona the Dog 1,984]

It was pretty true that Applejack did had a sense of urgency on her side.

 

Especially since Fluttershy said to make a sanctuary for them, what exactly was keeping them from getting out of their area? Not to mention that her plan was only going to work long term wise.

 

But if you think about it again, the bats needed something to eat......

[Scootadress 361]

I don't disagree with Applejack. She needed to manage her farm, but the problem was that her urgency seemed a little more forced and she was deemed more forceful and 'pushy'. 

 

If you think about it, if there was really another creature causing the farm distress (after the bats were rounded up) wouldn't wasting a day mean crop damage would be worse? Heck, just getting the others would be more time consuming than, lets say, rounding them up without them..? The urgency just seemed forced because you lose more crops in the long term.  Its been shown that the area didn't take long, and probably by then Fluttershy learned the language, I suppose.

 

Like you said, you can't do anything just short term. In the short term, things seem very easy, great, but then it could be terrible later. (Where I'm from, I just feel so bad for the deer. They overpopulate and there aren't any predators to end the numbers or cull them off.You get the whole overpopulation and a downfall of the area later on.)  The short term solution being that you remove the bats from the area. Now what? You remove the food source through magic. Again, now what?

 

I see that Fluttershy's plan has flaws, yes, but AJ's, over all, would be JUST as bad. You have to wonder why they eat so many apples and what use they have, if you catch my drift. Celestia (or whatever god or goddess) would never create something without a purpose. They have a purpose deeper than what many might think right now.