Dusk settles over the farm and the horses whinny impatiently at the gate, waiting to be led into the barn. With the shifting evening light, one can glimpse the bats wheeling from the eaves of the barn for a night of insect hunting.
Most of the bats found in the United States are important for farming because they consume crop pests as a normal part of their diets. The corn earworm moth, for example, causes billions of dollars worth of damage to crops, such as corn and sorghum. These same moths are a favorite food of the Mexican free-tailed bat common to the southern half of the country.
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However, the good news is that your farm is the perfect place to nurture bat habitats. Use these tips to invite them to your farm:
1. Build a bat house
Constructing and installing bat houses is perhaps the easiest and least-expensive way to support bats on your farm. Plywood (1/2-inch four-ply) or cedar make excellent choices for construction. Bat Conservation International offers detailed instructions for bat house construction, design, location, sun exposure and coloration of the house for different regions of the United States. Instructions include how high the bat house should be placed along with strategies for protecting bats from natural predators, such as snakes.
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“Bats have gotten a bad rap,” says conservation biologist Karen Krebs of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. “They are very beneficial for the balance of ecosystems. They have faced negative publicity and now face disease.”
By learning about bats in your area, you can prepare the best habitat conditions to attract or maintain wildlife that benefits your farming endeavors. Contact your local department of natural resources for information about local conservation efforts.
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Article source: Hobby Farms
Image source: Vulcan Termite