Tips for Attracting Bats
Some people might wonder why in the world anyone would want tips for attracting bats. The fact is that these often misunderstood creatures can help control the populations of mosquitoes, certain types of worms and beetles and other pests.
For people who garden, this can be a great benefit as they will not have to add harmful chemical pesticides to the soil. There are ways that you can draw bats to your yard and garden. Here are a few tips to help you get started.
Fresh Water
Bats are not going to be drawn to a location where there is not water. While the preference of most bats would be a stream or creek, you can install a small pond if you have no natural water source. The pond will be enough to draw the bats, but smaller pools of water, such as a birdbath, will likely not be enough to attract them.
A Bat House While high branches in a tree are their natural home, erecting a bat house is a great tool for attracting bats. A bat house is not like a bird house. The ideal bat house is wide and contains several levels. There are plenty of bat house kits available, or you can design your own.
Night Blooming Flowers
Flowers that bloom at night will attract insects at just the right time when bats are feeding. Some flowers to consider are Evening Primrose and Nicotania. Talk to the experts at your local nursery about which night blooming flowers will work best in your location.
A single bat can eat hundreds of bugs in an hour. Imagine if you had a few bats making regular stops at your yard or garden how much the bug population could be reduced. Even if you do not have a garden, , by following the above tips for attracting bats, you can cut down the mosquito population which will make time spent in your yard much more enjoyable.
For those who have a fear of bats, you will be happy to know that the most common bat related fears are completely unfounded. One is that if a bat flies to close to you, it may become stuck in your hair. While it’s tough to figure out where that old wives tale came from, it is not based in fact. Bats are not “sticky” and have no anatomy that would cause them to stick to your hair.
Also, bats will not bother birds that frequent your yard nor will they pester your pets. Another popular bat myth is that an encounter with a bat will leave you with a high probability of contracting rabies. The numbers of bat related rabies cases are so low that you have a better chance of getting bitten by a shark and struck by lightning than you do of catching rabies from a bat. Because of the fear that many people have of bats, most people fail to take advantage of this free and chemical free pesticide.
Follow the above tips for attracting bats. You’ll be helping an animal that is often misunderstood and your yard will have far fewer pests.
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