Gardens That Work for Bats

Bats drink while flying – they skim the water’s surface and take a sip without landing. They need open, unobstructed approach space above any water source you provide. A minimum 7-foot swoop zone is essential.

An elevated water trough on a tomato cage, kept shallow and refreshed daily in summer, can serve multiple bats every night. When water needs changing, dip it from the shallow troughs and pour it directly on the plants before refilling.

A bats-eye-view of the water trough shows perennial moth-attracting nectar plants set back to allow for growth and to provide an easy swoop zone. Annual crops like tomatoes are not caged, but allowed to “Loch Ness Monster” their way along the garden bed, dipping down to root before rising multiple times to bear fruit.

The Eastern Red Bat

Eastern red bats sleep while hanging by one foot from the stem of a mulberry leaf. When she wakes up, the first thing she does is take a drink – then she goes on the hunt.

She catches moths with a dramatic tail grab – a backflip maneuver we call “SnackroBatics.” She flies off consuming the moth while shedding the wings mid-air. Those moth wings scattered in the garden every morning? Evidence that bats are protecting your crops all night.

Eastern red bats mimic dead leaves and roost in the foliage of trees through summer. In winter, they drop into deep piles of leaves on the ground to survive hard freezes – making leaf litter one of the most important winter habitats you can provide.

Eastern red bat – hanging by one foot, disguised among the leaves

Luna Moth & the Upside-Down Nest

The luna moth pictured here was found on an upside-down grapevine birds’ nest – sometimes used by foliage-roosting bats as a hiding spot from bird predators. You could also hang an upside-down wicker basket high in a tree and see if a bat decides it is a good place to hide.

Bat boxes can be a wonderful addition to a home garden – but a nearby standing dead tree provides more stable thermal conditions. About half the bat species in Austin don’t use bat boxes at all. Many roost in the leaves of trees in summer, mimicking dead leaves, then drop into deep piles of leaf litter on the ground to survive winter freezes.

Don’t overwork your yard. Leave the leaves, clusters of dead leaves, and some standing dead trees. What’s more beautiful: a sterile manicured landscape, or one full of life?

Dead leaves, leaf clusters in trees, and standing dead wood are all critical habitat for Austin’s foliage-roosting bats. Many species – including Eastern red, Seminole, Northern yellow, and Hoary bats – do not use bat boxes. They mimic dead leaves while roosting in trees through summer, then drop into deep leaf piles on the ground to survive winter freezes.

Don’t overwork your yard. What’s more beautiful: a sterile manicured landscape, or one that is full of life?

Xerces Society: Leave the Leaves – leaf litter is critical habitat for overwintering bats, insects, and pollinators

Bats Belong in Gardens community garden – demonstrating bat-friendly practices at scale

Community gardens are ideal settings for demonstrating bat-friendly practices. A single water trough, a border of native nectar plants, and a hands-off approach to leaf litter can turn any shared green space into a nightly bat hunting ground.