As
I mentioned in my last mosquito tip blog, one brown bat can consume up to 600
mosquitos an hour!! Quite a bit of energy if being used to capture the buggers,
so yes it is fun to watch. Swallows, purple martins & most songbirds will
eat flying insects also. But, all will choose a hefty moth or beetle over the
bitsy-sized mosquito. That being said, we still need these predators in our
yards to control the population. Just a simple drive through the shore towns of
New Jersey & you will see purple martin houses dotting many backyards.
These colony type houses are wonderful for these water-loving birds. But, if
you don’t live near water your bats are you best bet.
Unfortunately, the bat population in the
state of Pennsylvania, my home state, has succumbed to white-nose syndrome. It
is a fungus that has decimated the majority of large colonies of bats. (See
article below) Still, nature finds a way to rebound, and we can help. I am
fortunate to have neighbors close by with outbuildings that boast wonderful
housing for bats & in some years, swallows. You can buy a simple bat house
at Home Depot & birding stores. (or build one... see Better Homes & Gardens link below & see ‘moon’ garden link
as well.) You can also plant a moonlight garden to attract the bats. This kind
of surprised me, but if birds love certain plants, why not bats? These night-blooming
flowers will help attract bats: Evening primrose, moonflower, four-o’clock,
cleome, datura (angel’s trumpet), nicotiana & yucca. They seem to have
something in common: a trumpet, deep-throated flower. These are plants I will
definitely try to incorporate into my garden. The four-o’clock’s, cleome,
nicotiana & moonflower vine/plant will grow easily from seed. I will also be
hunting ‘moon’ related gardens items while hitting the garage sales from now
on!
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