How to Care for Bugs, Bees, Bats & Butterflies

Bats

Although these little mammals are not always the most liked creatures that can visit our garden, they do play an important role in controlling unwanted pests that fly around our garden, and they are also very intelligent and,  personally speaking,  fascinating to watch.

Like all animals they need three main things; shelter, food & water.  If you have these three things you will have a good chance that bats will come and visit your garden.

Shelter

If you haven’t got that old barn in your back garden then bats can take up home in the eaves and under the fascias of your house, as the ones in our neighbours garden have.  Alternatively you could purchase many of the bat boxes available on the market today. Position your bat box in a place where no predator (cats) can get to them,  either high on the side of a house or on the top of a pole, preferably in full sun and sheltered from high winds, and if possible close to fresh water.

Water

All animals need this.  If you are lucky enough to have a pond or stream in your garden you will have a greater chance to see and encourage bats to your garden. If not, don’t worry, a simple bird bath will do just as well. Keep it topped up and fresh.

Food

Bats eat night flying insects.  You can encourage these insects into your garden by planting a few night blooming plants, or just after dusk put an outside light on to attract moths. Also having a place for these insects to breed and live will always help.

Hopefully if you do these small things you will see bats flying in your garden before too long.

Bugs & Bees

Not everyone likes them and many times I have seen our young daughters running away and screaming around the garden claiming a 6ft ant was after them!  Don’t get me wrong, I would be the first person to jump up and squash a wasp if it came near me, but all these small insects play a vital role in our garden. Nor may it be said, would I like to see a swarm of bees taking up residence in the tree in our garden.

However the food chain starts with them and as we will never stop them from being in our garden (who would want to?) we might as well learn to live with them and, of course as everyone knows, we need these little creatures to pollinate many of our garden plants.

They don’t need much, and really you probably don’t need to do anything, but if you do want to help them, then installing a simple bug box will give them somewhere to breed and hibernate through winter

Butterflies

Nearly everyone like to see these insects in their garden.  As with all small insects, again they won’t need much from us.  But if we want to try and encourage more varieties and types of butterfly into our garden, we do need to think about a couple of small things.

Firstly, having a sunny garden will help. However, if your garden doesn’t catch the summer sun all day, pick an area that does and plant with shrubs that the butterfly likes to feed on, i.e. Asters, Daisies, Zinnias.  Butterflies are also attracted to the colours purple, yellow, red and pink.  Of course with butterflies do come caterpillars,  chopping their way through many a plant!   Accept this and plant a few host plants for your butterflies to lay their eggs on, and the caterpillars to eat, i.e. Cabbage, Sunflower.

A Butterfly House is an excellent way to help them hide away from the Great British Summer, and seek shelter from predators. Most of the varieties on the market today are sold in a plain timber finish.  But here you can let your artistic side shine through.  Enjoy yourself and splash some colour on the shelter, using purples, yellows, reds and pinks. This will firstly make the house more attractive to the eye, but also will increase the chances that the butterflies will use it. One last thing butterflies will need is a source of drinking water.  This can easily be achieved by using a bird bath or a shallow saucer.  I have found Hanging Bird Baths to work very well.

Once again, please feel free to add your comments and hints.