Nature

4 Ways to Make Your Texas Backyard More Bat-Friendly

By  | 
Tony Maples Photography

 

Like them or not, bats are a common visitor to many backyards after the sun sets. While some people are fearful of these furry, nocturnal creatures, there is really no reason to be. Bats are an important component of our ecosystem. They eat millions of bugs every night and are important pollinators. Making your backyard more bat-friendly is a way to welcome these helpful creatures and make our environment a bit more hospitable so that they may do their work.

Here are four tips that Bat Conservation International suggest to make your backyard more bat-friendly this fall:

1. Take a Break From the Rake

Rake leaves

Photo: Flickr/Dean Hochman

While it sounds strange to encourage you not to clean up your yard, it’s for good reason. Bat Conservation International says, “Not all bats hibernate in caves – many, like the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) roost primarily in trees, and when the mercury drops they head for the ground, where they shelter all winter long under a warm blanket of leaves. Even a shallow layer on the ground can help hibernating bats stay hidden and hydrated.”

2. Leave Ailing Trees Alone Until After Winter

trees

Photo: Flickr/John Brian Silverio

Your holey trees make a perfect place for bats to ride out the cold weather. If you have a tree with peeling bark, deep cracks, and even woodpecker damage, consider leaving it just the way it is. Though tree-roosting bats are often solitary, when winter approaches, they’ll huddle together for warmth by the twos and threes in even unbelievably tight squeezes: beneath tree bark, in disused nest cavities, in woodpiles, even in cracks in fence posts. Once the threat of cold weather is behind us, then feel free to take care of dead trees, but for winter, consider leaving them for the bats to use.

3. Offer Up Your Pool or Pond for a Watering Hole

fountain

Photo: Flickr/bobistraveling

Especially in drier climates, bats are often in need of water and your pool or pond is an ideal place for them to drink. One way to help bats safely take a drink is to leave plenty of room around your water feature – a “swoop zone” for bats to safely approach, dive down and skim the surface for a sip.

4. Bring ‘Fluffy’ Inside for the Night

cat

Photo: Pixabay

No matter the time of year, cat attacks are one of the most common causes of bat fatalities — consider keeping your cat indoors at night. If you are unable to keep your cat inside all night, bring it in from about a half-hour before sunset until an hour after sunset (the time during which bats are most active). If your cat has found a bat, your pet may have learned where the roost is and will return — potentially putting the entire colony at risk. Also consider that cats often do not immediately kill their prey, preferring to bring it home and releasing it indoors as a “gift” to their owners!

To learn more about how to help bats, go to the website for Bat Conservation International or follow them on Facebook.