How to attract bats into your garden

bat Will enjoy star treatment next year right spindle The Chelsea Flower Show, which features a display garden, demonstrates how easy it is to grow plants that support these nocturnal mammals.

Designer: Melanie Schicknight garden Bat Conservation Trust Highlight plants and environments that bats like.

“The image of bats is changing. The more we learn about our environment, the more we understand that we are not the most important. Far from being vampires and spooky movie stars, they are lovable creatures of the night,” Schick said.

So why are they so important?

They indicate a healthy ecosystem

“They are an indicator species that lets us know that our environment is in good condition,” she said. “When we have bats in our gardens, just like we have birds in our gardens, it means we have insects and pollinators and healthy soil and plant biodiversity.

“If you have a colony of bats in your garden, that means there’s food for them there, which means there’s also little moths and other small insects. That in turn means you’re growing a lot of different types of plants, you’ve got water, healthy soil, and you probably have tree cover and roosting space.”

How can we attract them into our gardens?

insect plant

all species British According to the trust, bats only eat insects such as midges, moths, mosquitoes and beetles, so you need to choose plants that are attractive to insects.

“You probably already have a lot of plants that attract the insects that bats want, like ox-eye daisies, hawthorns, dog roses, violas and some so-called weeds like bird’s-foot clover,” Hick said.

mix it up

Plant a mix of flowering plants, vegetables, trees and shrubs to encourage a variety of insect habitats. The trust advises that native plants tend to support a wider variety of insects than hybrids or exotics, so they should be used as often as possible.

Extend flowering period

Keep insects available year-round. All bat species in the UK feed on insects, so try to extend the flowering season from early spring (when bats are emerging from hibernation) to late autumn (when they are building up fat reserves in preparation for hibernation).

Use plants that attract insects at night

The trust advises that tall, pale or night-scented flowers are more visible to nocturnal insects such as moths, so consider tuberose, cannabis agrimony and evening primrose in your planting plans.

Planting in layers

“Bats feed in the air, but the way to plant a bat-friendly garden is to plant in layers from the ground to mid-high and above. You’re trying to create a multi-textured biodiversity garden, and luckily you’ll attract bats,” Schick said.

Don’t organize too much

Let insects find their hiding places in log piles or under rotting leaves, or even in compost heaps, so leave some garden debris to serve as their shelter.

including open flowers

“We’re looking at growing plants for pollinators and insects, so we want to see flowers that open naturally, like ox-eye daisies and forget-me-nots,” Schick said. Echinacea, Michael daisies, thyme, fennel and foxgloves are also good, she adds.

don’t forget water

Whether you build a pond or just install a small water feature, you can provide bats with a place to drink. Water features also attract insects. Many of the tiny flies beloved by bats begin their lives in the water as aquatic larvae.

“Make sure there’s water because pollinators and the little moths that bats eat need water and habitat to survive. We have to work backwards and think about what the insects need,” Schick said.

keep dark

“We are looking for dark sky standard lighting to support wildlife, biodiversity and bats in the garden,” Schick said.

Avoid uplighting and not flooding outdoor spaces with light when the light is unnatural, she advises.

“Light pollution interrupts the life cycles of pollinators and moths, which in turn affects bats.

“Of course, for safety’s sake, light your path and always have security lights, but consider turning them off when you go indoors at night.”

The trust advises that if you want to keep your security lighting on, consider changing the settings to darker lights or fitting a cover or cover over them to limit light pollution.

Setting up a bat box

“Habitat is very important, so you can add common roost boxes, which will be demonstrated in the night garden,” Schick says.

The trust says bat boxes are more likely to be used if they are located in areas where bats are known to feed. Some bats use tree lines or hedges to navigate. Placing the box near these features may help bats find the box.

In the smallest space…

If you have a small garden, consider creating a vertical herb garden or wildlife-friendly climbers to use your vertical space, or plant a variety of light-colored, open-flowering and fragrant plants in pots.

For more information about bat gardening and plant checklists, visit Bat Conservation Trust