Bats: Why Your Yard Needs These Winged Wonders and How to Roll Out the Welcome Mat
Bats. You’ve heard all the myths, but here’s the truth: bats are garden superheroes and your backyard’s best friend. These night-flying wonders do more than put on a spectacular twilight show; they’re nature’s top insect exterminators and key pollinators that help keep our ecosystems thriving. With a few simple steps and some bat-friendly additions, you can turn your yard into a bat sanctuary, helping these critters survive—and benefit your garden in the process.
Why Bats Matter
Let’s start with the basics. Bats munch on hundreds of mosquitoes, beetles, and moths every night, which means fewer bugs bugging you. They’re like a natural pest control service, keeping our environment balanced without the need for chemicals. Plus, bats play a vital role in pollinating plants and dispersing seeds, which keeps our landscapes (and even our food supply) healthy and diverse.
But bats face some tough challenges—habitat loss, diseases like white-nose syndrome, and climate change are pushing many species to the brink. They are also largely misunderstood by humans and, therefore, not often seen as worthy of our protection. By giving bats a place to hang (literally), you’re helping to protect them and support the incredible work they do for our environment.
How to Make Your Yard a Bat Paradise
Ready to invite some bats for a sleepover? Here are a few easy steps to create a bat-friendly garden.
1. Go Native with Plants
Planting native flowers, shrubs, and trees is like setting the table for bats. Night-blooming plants like evening primrose and moonflower attract moths and other insects that bats love to snack on. Native species also offer safe, familiar shelter, giving bats and other local wildlife a cozy environment. (Planting native plants is a good idea, regardless if you are looking to attract bats to your yard.) The National Wildlife Federation has a wonderful Native Plant Finder that we love.
2. Limit Outdoor Lighting
Bats aren’t big fans of bright lights—they’re creatures of the night, after all. Reducing or shielding outdoor lights can help make your yard more bat-friendly, as it draws fewer insects away from them. Bonus: reduced light pollution means you’ll also see the nighttime sky with much more clarity.
3. Keep Water Nearby
A small pond or birdbath can be a big draw for bats. Just like us, they need water, and having a clean, shallow water source gives them a reason to visit your yard more often.
4. Plant a Bat Buffet
Want bats to visit regularly? Attracting insects they eat is the way to go! Try planting herbs like dill and marjoram, which attract small moths, or colorful native flowers to draw in a variety of night-flying bugs.
Build or Buy a Bat House
One of the best ways to help bats is by providing them with a proper roosting spot. A bat house mimics the crevices they’d find in trees or cliffs, giving them a safe place to rest during the day and a launchpad for nightly insect hunts. We love the bat houses offered by BatBnB. These houses are designed to attract bats and provide a safe, cozy space that protects them from predators and the elements. They were designed with the help of Merlin Tuttle, the godfather of modern bat conservation. If you choose to build your own or purchase bat houses from another source, do your research. Some bat houses and house plans can do more harm than good. There is truly an art to building a bat house. Look for bat houses or DIY designs that are Merlin Tuttle-approved. Bat houses are fairly complicated when done right, so if you find one for cheap, that is a red flag that it may not be up to par.
Install Your Bat House Properly
Placement is Key: Position your bat house at least 10–15 feet above the ground on a pole or side of a building, away from lights and disturbances. Never install bat houses on trees, as it makes bat colonies susceptible to predators.
Sunshine Matters: Bats love warmth, so place the house where it gets plenty of sunlight, ideally on a south-facing wall.
Check the Neighborhood: Bats tend to like areas near water and trees, so if you have both, your bat house could become a five-star bat resort in no time.
Do your homework: Bat house placement can be tricky, and bats can be finicky about their residences.
Ready to Make a Difference?
Bats are incredible creatures that need our help. By welcoming them into your yard, you’re doing more than boosting your garden’s pest control; you’re helping support a species that plays a crucial role in our environment. So, choose a bat house, roll out the red carpet, and let’s give these winged wonders a safe, cozy home.
This story is part of The 89 Percent Project, an initiative of the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now.
