Can you attract bats to the garden?

[gardenrelaxer]

Hi - this must seem a naive question, but is there any way that we can attract bats into our garden? We have always been fascinated by them and want to know if there are any techniques which will tempt them to visit us? Thanks

[mh68]

Attract insect life and you`ll increase the likelihood of Bats hunting over the garden.Thats the simplest answer
A garden pond, logpiles, insect attracting plants(in particular those attractive to moth species) will all help....


(edit) and obviously putting one or more Bat boxes up may encourage them to roost on your property too

Mark H

[naturelover]

hi gardenrelaxer,welcome to the site enjoy.

[goosey]

Lots of honeysuckle is a good bet, a neighbour two doors up has it growing on their balcony and I saw bats there every evening over the summer after the moths. You do realise that if you are lucky enough to get them to nest in boxes or in your property, you will not be able to disturb or handle them. They are protected by law and you need a licence.
Good luck with attracting them though.

[Kayleigh]

Night scented plants like lilies,honeysuckle and night stocks will attract moths. I have seen moths on my lavender at night. These plants will attract the moths and they will attract the bats to your garden.

[Brocker]

A pond is a must. My house is built in an area surrounded by marsh etc. We have a real problem in the summer with knats and midges as they have the perfect breeding ground. However, we have also spent may evening watching the bats in our garden hunting the little blighters . . . . As long as you have still water, even a water butt will do, you have a chance. Good luck.

[gardenrelaxer]

Thanks everyone, looks like we'd better start digging that pond!

[austringer]

hi there i have bats in my loft i have seen them comming in and out of the eves.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Surprised no-one has suggested putting up bat roost boxes yet.

Cheers,

Adam

[mh68]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

Surprised no-one has suggested putting up bat roost boxes yet.

Cheers,

Adam

Post #2 Adam

Mark H

[Brocker]

Originally Posted by austringer

hi there i have bats in my loft i have seen them comming in and out of the eves.

Fantastic. What an opportunity you will have to photograph them once they have finished hibernating. . . Speak to your local Wildlife group or RSPCA and seek lots of advice about these wonderful and protected species. I have to say I am very jealous Welcome to WAB by the way.

[Batty_about_bats]

Hi everyone

I work with Lee Valley Bats, a community voluntary group, dedicated to bats.

I recently wrote an article for our Winter Newsletter on how to encourage bats to a green space, e.g. garden, communal space. Here it is below - I hope you find it useful:

QUOTE...

How to attract bats

Insects are attracted to fragrant plants. Lacewings, moths, small beetles etc, provide a welcomed meal for any foraging bat. British bats are insectivores, (they eat only insects). Generally speaking, the more evening scented plants you have in your garden, allotment patch or parkland, you increase your chances of having bat visitors. Many flowers bloom at night and release their scent to attract pollinating insects - so, by planting, let's say, Wild Rose for example, you would not only have a fragrant area in the evenings, but you would be providing food for one of Britain's most endangered species.

What to plant

[left]If you haven't already got bat visitors, it could take a while for them to find out what's for the catching in your area. Of course, for much faster results, purchase plants rather than bulbs or seed.

In addition to fragrant flowers and herbs, insects are also attracted to foliage, e.g. trees, conifers, bushes. Though most have little or no scent, (to us anyhow), midges love them - so it's good to have greenery in any quantity. As for fruit trees, we've witnessed lots of bat activity around them. So, if you have the room, the energy or some left over cash from Christmas, this might be something else to consider.

Bats use dependable foraging areas, (routes). They use the same routes over and over.

Even if it does take a while for bats to get to you, meantime you'll have a green space to delight your senses on those balmy summer evenings to come, (fingers very firmly crossed on the latter).

Here's a list of some likely plants that could encourage bats to your patch. You will almost certainly be able to purchase bulbs, seeds online.

Flower examples:

Evening Primrose; Night blooming Jasmine;
Sweet scented Nicotania; Moonflowers; Night Phlox;
Evening Stock; White Campion; Night-blooming Lilies;
Wild Rose and Tuberose; Yarrow; Tansy.

Herb examples:

Chives; Borage; Lemon Balm; Marjoram;
Mint (several varieties) and more.

Tree & foliage examples:

Cherry; Conifer; Shrubbery; Apple

UNQUOTE

Best Wishes
Cheerio for now
Jeanette Sitton

[galanthus]

Really helpful first post batty, welcome to WAB

[Dogghound]

Yes. You sound like a useful addition to the site,a warm welcome to W.A.B hope you stick around Jeanette.

[tigger]

I tend to leave our security lights on in the summer evenings. The moths love them.... and the bats get a free meal!

[juliejam]

Ive got many of the plants and flowers you mentioned to attract bats into the garden and last year designed my first herb garden.....We had a very successful summer, every evening we had a Bat show lasting a good 30mins or more ending up with them roosting into trees at the bottom of the garden...The two cats also found them very entertaining..Im already looking forward to seeing them again this year..


Julie

[epops]

Originally Posted by austringer

hi there i have bats in my loft i have seen them comming in and out of the eves.

me to i contacted the bat group and there coming to have a count and to find exactley what sort they are so that'll be intersting also there 2 little Pipistrelle in the shed

[Batty_about_bats]

BATS AND CATS

Our UK bats have only a few predators:

1) Cats; Owls; Hobbies & Kestrels (birds of prey); Magpies and Crows (raptors) and Man. Thanks to very strict UK laws, our bats have never been safer from the latter.

Most bats are predated during dawn and dusk hours.
It's no accident that cats have the No.1 spot on the list (a statistic held by BCT), as they:

• are patient and skilled predators;
• have excellent eyesight in low light (much better than ours);
• can jump up to 6 or 7 times their own height;
• can hear high-pitched sounds of up to 64 kHz, (1.6 octaves above human range and one octave above the range of a dog). Cats are potentially capable of hearing 16 of our 17 UK bat species.

Cat owner? Here's how you can help…

Ensure your cat is kept indoors from 5-7am and from 7-8.30pm throughout April to September. Bats roost in buildings and trees (including our attics). Let them fly safely around your garden, out of Felix's reach.
The Bat Conservation Trust, (BCT) has a leaflet entitled: 'Make Your Garden Safe For Bats'.

Bye for now, Jeanette

[PMG]

Run a moth trap!

We knew and had seen bats flying in the 'triangular space' at the rear of our houses - if we stand on a box and look towards the two street lights in this space and walkway we can see pips feeding in circles under the trees. When the moth trap is on they divert a swoop or two across our fence (I'm sure they've eaten 'our deaths head' many times............)

Seriously some fantstic advice above esp re plants - welcome to the newcomers!

Pauline

[Batty_about_bats]

Hi there!

Thanks - I'm glad you enjoyed the articles and thanks for your very kind welcome.

The most busy times of the year for the 'Bat Conservation trust' and bat groups nation-wide are Spring and Summer. Spring, because bats are emerging from hibernation and Summer (June), the birth of pups. Many pups fall from their roost and receive dedicated around-the-clock nursing by bat groups and individuals around the UK.

Last June, we saw many injuries & fatalities - this was down to the horrific weather we had. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this year will be better for our tiny friends.

My bat group is Lee Valley Bats at Lee Valley Bats - online you'll see images of all the 6-9 bats we have in the Lee Valley (covering 27 miles from Ware in Herts to Bow Creek). There are 17 species in the UK.

I'm starting bat care this year - I've already purchased an indoor flight cage in the form of a double-bed sized mosquito net. Once the casualties are feeding and it becomes obvious they re ready to fly, I'll introduce them into the flight cage (or net). I'll be looking for the following signs before they can be released into the wild, (some might never be released if their injuries are too severe):

• They would have needed to reach proper weight

• strong flight

• minimal stops

• Feeding on the wing (each time a bat catches food in flight, it sends out a buzzing sound called, 'a feeding buzz')

• ... other signs too.

Cheerio for now
(It's very nice to hear from you)
Jeanette