Welcoming Bats to Your Garden

Many people are scared of bats. Maybe it's because they only come out at night. We've all heard the hysteria about rabies, blood-sucking, and other ills from these winged creatures.

Perhaps we are afraid of their intelligence. After all, bats have their own built-in radar systems.

If we happen to spot a bat one night, we grab our heads, duck and run for cover. Since childhood, we have feared that a bat may nest in our hair.

Are we just plain batty? These gentle nocturnal creatures are even more afraid of us! In fact, they can be quite helpful to the garden and patio.

Bats are Bug-Busters.

Most bat species prey only on night-flying insects, such as moths, gnats and fireflies. In the garden, bats will consume beetles, gnats, and other pests. In a single night, one bat may devour half his body weight in bugs.

A single bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes an hour! Welcome, bats!

Bats Build Bonus Bedding.

Besides patrolling for pests, bats provide a hearty organic fertilizer for your garden. Bat droppings, known as guano, are high in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These minerals are essential nutrients for flowers, herbs, vegetables, ornamental grasses, and other plants. In other words, guano is great for your garden beds!

Bring on the Bats!

The home gardener can welcome bats by providing a pleasing environment for them. Bats love dark, enclosed spaces. They instinctively seek sheltered spots, such as inside old hollow trees, under eaves, in caves, in gutter spouts, and even in empty attics.

Building a bat house in your garden will provide an attractive alternative.

Build Your Own Bat House.

Countless online instructions are readily available. These outline a variety of designs in great detail.

A suitable bat house should be at least one foot wide and two feet tall. Most bat houses are constructed of plywood. Choose wood with a rougher surface, if you can.

Essentially, you will build a basic box, allowing slots at the top and bottom for flying exits and entries. Inside the box, place several wood slats vertically (about 3" apart) to create tight, cozy compartments for the bats to nest. These also allow more darkness during the day for these nocturnal creatures.

Use a saw, a rasp or extra-coarse sandpaper to rough-up the inside of the box, so it feels like natural tree bark. This will offer the bats traction for climbing and gripping, while they hang upside-down inside the house.

Caulk all inner seams to seal them against cold and moisture.

Paint your bat house black or dark brown, so it will appeal to them. Plus, it will soak up sun in the day and provide a warm nest for the young batlings.

Best Bat Bailiwick

Attach your home-built or store-bought bat house to a tree or pole, where it can solar-heated during the day. If you can fasten it to an actual building, that works equally well. For some reason, bats tend to shy away from houses attached to tree trunks or branches.

Place it at least 15 feet off the ground, so sleeping bats will be undisturbed by predators.

Be sure to locate the bat house near a ready water supply, such as a pond or birdbath.

Soon, you will have your own bat force, exterminating evil and bringing peace to your plantings.