Bats – Nature’s Pest Controller
Paper silhouettes of bats mounted on the wall, carved into pumpkins or hanging from the ceiling are a common sight around Halloween. But they really should be considered a good friend to gardeners.
Most North American bats only eat insects. As night feeders their diet consists mainly of moths and mosquitoes. But they also eat gnats and larger beetles. A colony of bats can eat as much as 100 tons of insects in a season.
Invite bats into your landscape by supplementing their food source, insects, with water and shelter.
A pond with an opening for the bat’s to swoop down for a drink or an elevated bird bath can provide a good source of water.
Consider buying or building a bat house for your yard. Visit the Bat Conservation International website at www.batcon.org for plans. Fasten the house on the south side of a pole about 12 to 18 feet above the ground.
A bit more information: Some bat species eat fruit and nectar. They help in pollination and seed dispersal of some of our native plants. For more information on creating a healthy yard for bats, bees, birds and butterflies click here.
Related
Video
Audio
Categories
Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars
April 27, 2024
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
Viroqua, WI
Register now
April 28, 2024
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 1, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables
Register now
May 4, 2024
Garden U 2024
New Richmond, WI
Register now
May 9, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
How to Plant Your Rain Garden
Register now
May 11, 2024
Ask The Plant Doctor Q & A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 12, 2024
Ask The Plant Doctor Q & A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
May 18, 2024
Ask The Plant Doctor Q & A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
June 1, 2024
Selecting, Planting, Pruning and Caring for Hydrangeas
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI
June 5, 2024
FREE WEBINAR
Under-Appreciated Pollinators
Register now
WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Learn More