As Fall and Halloween swiftly approach, we have bugs, and bats, scarecrows and witches on our minds. We often see houses decorated with plastic black bats and fake spiderwebs. Did you know that real bats are actually beneficial to the Central Valley and to your yard? Bats are the only true flying mammals and there are over 1,000 species. Were you aware that by building bat boxes you can attract them to your yard and help their survival?
The 5 species you’ll likely see in the Central Valley are (these are the species of bats that will most likely occupy the boxes):
- Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
- The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)
- The Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)
- The pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus)
- The Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis)
Why build a bat box?
In the Central Valley we are used to an increasing number of insects including flies, gnats, those annoying mosquitoes and the agricultural pests that endanger our crops. Can you guess who loves to eat these insects and consider them tasty morsels? Yep, Bats! A bat can kill over 600 mosquitoes in an hour. Would you be happy spending time outside with less mosquitoes? We would! Bats also eat Jerusalem crickets, scorpions, and other crawlers.
Another benefit: Bats will help pollinate your garden. They take over for the honeybees at nighttime and become your pollinator ‘night shift’ as they go for sweet nectar and spread the pollen. Also cool to note is that Bat poop, aka guano, is garden gold! Guano acts as fertilizer that naturally boosts the global ecosystem starting with your yard and helps to spread seeds. If you would like some help boosting your veggie growth bats are a natural ticket to success.
Where do you put the bat box?
Depending on the time of year bats are attracted to different kinds of bat boxes. You should install your boxes in a spot with southern light exposure. If you paint one box a light color and one a dark color, they will decide which one to utilize based on the outside temperature. The boxes will keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer depending on how much sunlight they reflect or retain.
How do you build one?
As with anything there is an option to buy one that is pre-made but do your research to make sure that it is an effective box. Not all boxes are created equal, and it won’t do you any good if the bats don’t want to utilize it.
Here are some sites we found with instructions to build your own:
- https://www.thisoldhouse.com/yards/21017023/fun-family-project-how-to-build-a-bat-house
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPlkXifGJ9M
- https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/gardening/how-to-build-a-bat-house
If you decide to build your own bat house, we’d love to see how it turns out! Whatever you decide to add to your landscaping just remember that this is your space and you can personalize and create it however it works for you, and we are here to help. Please feel free to send us any of your landscaping questions or needs.