How to Build Your Own Backyard Bat Cave

Article by: Doug Gelbert

Wait a minute. You're going to tell me how to , Mole Myths: How Can I Get Rid of the Moles Destroying My Yard? attract bats into my yard? The things that fly in your hair and suck your blood?

Well, bats don't fly into anybody's hair and unless you are a Holstein grazing in South America they won't be sucking your blood either. And a single foraging bat will gobble thousands of mosquitoes in a night.

For decades Europeans have practiced insect control with backyard , Preaparing Your Plants For Winter bat boxes, small wooden , Are Robotic Lawn Mowers Safe? shelters similar to birdhouses where bats roost. Once established a bat colony can help cripple a local , The Value of Mulch mosquito population.

Not only are bat colonies an ecologically friendly alternative to pesticides but they complement today's organic gardens. , Landscaping for Wildlife Droppings that fall , The Value of Mulch out of a bat house , Are Robotic Lawn Mowers Safe? provide excellent fertilizer, high in nitrogen. Unlike electronic bug zappers, bats don't frighten birds , Don't Forget the s this Winter from your yard. , How to Decorate your Outdoor Space without Breaking the Bank

And bats need homes. , Affordable Landscaping to Add Curb Appeal to Your Natural , The Value of Mulch roosts such as caves and hollow tree , Fast, Biologically Active, Highly-Efficient, No-Turn Composting-Really! trunks are increasingly scarce. The average suburban tree , Landscaping for Wildlife does not yield many good places , Fast, Biologically Active, Highly-Efficient, No-Turn Composting-Really! to roost to the inquisitive bypassing bat. Vigilant park workers sever rotten tree , Attracting Birds To Your Garden limbs and clear hollow and fallen trees , Affordable Landscaping to Add Curb Appeal to Your Home in the interests of public safety. , Don't Treat Your Soil Like Dirt

Where is a shelter-seeking bat to turn? "Many bats favor old buildings , Trust Your Plants - They Know How To Grow! because they offer nooks and crannies for roosting,"Â says Paul Gorenzel of the University of California-Davis, "but new construction is tighter and doesn't provide good homes. , Preaparing Your Plants For Winter "Â Colonies containing many thousands of free-tailed bats can be found living in buildings , Planning A Butterfly Garden or under bridges.

Backyard bat houses , Affordable Landscaping to Add Curb Appeal to Your Home are popular alternative roosts. Today the Bat Conservation International of Austin, Texas reports more requests for bat houses , Fast, Biologically Active, Highly-Efficient, No-Turn Composting-Really! than frantic calls , Tips on Outdoor Patio Heaters about rabid bats. (Few bats contract rabies and if they do, quickly die when sick. Even when rabid these shy animals rarely become aggressive.)

Homeowners extending an invitation to bats will be most successful if their bat house , Hibiscus is located near a permanent source of water. , Building a Deck – Things to Check if Using Softwood Species Bat houses , Landscaping for Wildlife can be mounted, ideally 20 feet high, on trees , Fast, Biologically Active, Highly-Efficient, No-Turn Composting-Really! or poles but houses , 10 Landscaping Design Ideas To Enhance Your Home Garden attached to building , Are Robotic Lawn Mowers Safe? sides provide greater temperature , Patio Design and Patio Furniture - The Use of Focal Points stability. The entrance should be free of obstructions to enable bats to access their new home , The Value of Mulch easily.

A new bat host must be patient waiting for his guests. A year to 18 months is a typical waiting period for a bat colony to roost. Most species are migratory, seeking suitable caves to hibernate through the winter. , How to Conquer Caterpillars Hanging a bat house , Design Your Own Rose Garden in the fall , Mole Myths: How Can I Get Rid of the Moles Destroying My Yard? or winter , Southwestern Landscape Art - An Investment? can prompt occupancy the following spring , The Value of Mulch when migrating bats return.

The little brown bat is the most likely bat to occupy your bat box. This voracious insectivore will feed on aquatic insects, sometimes catching as many as 600 mosquitoes an hour in their wings as they dart through the night sky. The little brown bat often shares its roost with its close relative, the big brown bat. The big brown bat is extremely hardy and can remain active year. It favors beetles for its evening meal.

For more information , An Introduction To Palm Trees on bats and bat houses , Abatement Considerations and Common Sense visit the Bat Conservation International at www.batcon.org. For a small donation of any size you will receive a booklet on bat basics and a set of house-building plans. , Tips for ting Flower Bulbs

copyright 2006

I am the author of over 20 books, including 8 on hiking with your dog, including the widely praised The Canine Hiker's Bible. As publisher of Cruden Bay Books, we produce the innovative A Bark In The Park series of canine hiking books found at http://www.hikewithyourdog.com During the warm months I lead canine hikes as tour leader for hikewithyourdog.com tours, leading packs of dogs and humans on day and overnight trips. My lead dog is Katie, a German Shepherd-Border Collie mix, who has hiked in all of the Lower 48 states and is on a quest to swim in all the great waters , Like Fall Flowers - A Tip To Care For Your Winter Garden Pond of North America - http://web.mac.com/crudbay/iWeb/Katies%20Blog/Katies%20Quest.html I am currently building , Patio Chair Covers a hikewithyourdog.com tours trailer to use on our expeditions and its progress can be viewed at http://web.mac.com/crudbay/iWeb/Teardrop%20Trailer/Building%20A%20Tour%20Trailer.html

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How to Build Your Own Backyard Bat Cave

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