The Benefits Of Bats In Your Backyard

As the only mammals capable of flight and the ability to navigate in near-complete darkness, bats are unique and fascinating creatures. Unfortunately, because of their special talents and nocturnal habits, they are frequently misunderstood and even feared. Bats help humans in some significant ways, and it can be beneficial to have them living somewhere on your property other than your house. If they do get into your attic, it is a different matter, and calling for professional bat removal right away is in the bats' interest as well as yours.

Why Is It Beneficial To Have Bats in Your Backyard?

If you are a gardener, there are several ways that you can benefit from bats living in your backyard. Even if you don't garden, bats can help make your time spent outside more pleasant. Guano is a euphemistic term for bats' excrement. It is rich in nutrients that plants need to survive, such as phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium. Herbs, flowers, ornamentals, and vegetables particularly benefit. Bats fertilize your garden without realizing it, and you don't even have to pay them to do it. You may find that ornamentals and flower beds become healthier and fuller if you have bats in the backyard. While part of this may be from the fertilization, bats are also pollinators. They are attracted to plant nectar just as bees are, but while bees are active by day, bats are active at night. Between the bats and the bees, plants on your property can get pollinated around the clock. Bats feed on insects such as beetles, gnats, mosquitos, and moths. Insects that are active at night have few other predators, and bats help to keep their population under control so that they aren't bothering you or eating everything in sight. While you shouldn't forgo insect repellent when going outside after dark, you may notice a significant decrease in the number of mosquitos and gnats that you see on your property if there are bats living there. Some of the other insects that bats eat feed on garden plants and food crops. If you have a garden, bats on your property help you to control insects without pesticides. Even if you don't have a garden, the crops you rely on for food are protected by bats. This means that farmers can use less pesticide while fruits and vegetables remain robust and plentiful.

How Can You Attract Bats to Your Property?

Bats, unfortunately, face several challenges to their survival, one of which is a loss of habitat. You can help bats while taking advantage of the benefits of having them on your property by installing a bat house. This gives them a place to roost during the day while they are waiting for nightfall to start hunting again. Bats instinctually roost in dark, enclosed spaces, so a bat box should have several narrow roosting chambers inside but should be at least two feet tall and 14 inches across. Bats need warm temperatures, so the bat box should be dark-colored to absorb energy from the sun. The bottom should be open so that guano doesn't build up inside, but there should be a landing pad so bats can climb inside more easily. The interior walls of the bat house should be rough so bats can get a better grip while climbing. The seams should be caulked to avoid moisture and drafts inside the house, but each side should have a small vent to allow for air circulation.

Bat Removal When Necessary

While bats make excellent neighbors, they are poor tenants. Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control in Milwaukee can remove them from your home. However, bat removal is only possible during certain times of the year due to their breeding patterns and laws in place to protect them. Therefore, if you have bats in your Milwaukee home, you should call us as soon as possible.