As you celebrate Earth Day, focusing on pretty pollinators, beautiful birds, and cuddly creatures, make sure to invite a few dark-loving guests to your garden: bats! Although suffering from some PR problems, mostly due to horror films (thanks, Dracula) and urban legends (no, bats have no desire to swoop into your hair), bats actually benefit your garden. Do you despise mosquitos? Who doesn’t? Make your evening garden a welcoming site for bats, and you’ll soon enjoy less pests as you relax by the pool. Bats also help rid your garden of cutworm moths, chafer beetles, potato beetles and cucumber spotted beetles, and many other pests. So, think of your friendly neighborhood bats as the good guys—more Batman than vampire
But how do you encourage these creatures of the night to call your garden home? First, reduce your use of pesticides, stat. Bats need insects to survive, and they’ll prove a terrific source of natural pest control if you let nature run its course. To encourage bats to visit your garden:
- Plant night-blooming flowers. While bats are attracted to fragrant flowers that appear in the evening, they also love the insects that enjoy the blooms, too. A little nectar, a little protein—it’s the perfect bat buffet. Choose plants like evening primrose, phlox, moonflower, datura, four o’clocks, yucca, night-blooming jessamine, cleome, and nicotiana to attract evening visitors to your garden. Visit your local Master Nursery® Garden Center for a great selection of night-blooming plants.
- Provide a water source. Bats can lose up to 50 percent of their body weight in water in just one day, so they need to refill. Along with hydrating, bats are also attracted to insects that congregate near water. So, basically, you’re offering them a meal—and a drink. What a nice host you are!
- Add a bat box to your garden. Location, location, location: just like with any real-estate, bat boxes need an ideal location to attract residents.
Even if you garden in a small space, like a balcony or patio, you can help attract bats to your garden. Choose out a pretty container with drainage holes from your local Master Nursery® Garden Center, fill it with Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Potting Soil [Eastern & Midwestern Regions | Western Region], add your evening-blooming plants, place a birdbath nearby, and you’ve created a perfect bat attraction. Don’t forget to water your plants well and feed with Master Nursery® Bumper Crop® Rose and Flower Food to keep the plants growing and blooming all season long.
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