Ideas For Your Backyard

Bats are misunderstood creatures that are generally quite harmless to people. They do not become tangled in your hair, nor do they attack humans. Contrary to misconceptions, disease transmission from bats to people is easily avoided. Never handle bats and the odds of being harmed will be extremely remote.

In more than four decades, public health records indicate that only 16 people in the United States and Canada have died of bat-borne diseases… Placed in perspective, this means that the odds of anyone dying of a disease from a bat are much less than one in a million.  In contrast, in the United States alone more than 10 people die annually from dog attacks, not to mention dog- and cat-transmitted diseases. - Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle, America’s Neighborhood Bats, University of Texas Press, Austin, 1988. In contrast, several children in a million are likely to die each year from encephalitis contracted through a mosquito bite.

In the Orient these gentle animals are symbols of good luck, long life and happiness.  They are meticulous in their grooming, spending a fair part of the day and night combing and grooming their fur.

When bats fly, they navigate by means of an sophisticated echolocation system.  The bat sends out signals of sound energy, which are reflected back, giving it the location of an object as well as its texture and other characteristics.  They can avoid a single human hair with extreme accuracy, even in total darkness, giving lie to the myth that bats are blind.

If you live in the country you might want to purchas a bat house.

Bats are in need of protection if they are to survive.  They have proven themselves as valuable members of our ecosystem, and we must increase the awareness of people who have the ability to protect or to destroy these little creatures.

Bats are declining, world-wide, at an alarming rate, due to human misunderstanding.  They have typically only one offspring per year, making their comeback slow and in need of our help.

Bats eat an amazing amount of mosquitos. Some experts estimated that one bat can eat between 600 to 1000 insects, mosquitoes included, within a period of one hour. And the guano is a great fertilizer for your garden. Check out the bat houses that are available online.

Truth About Bats

Bats are misunderstood creatures that are generally quite harmless to people. They do not become tangled in your hair, nor do they attack humans. Contrary to misconceptions, disease transmission from bats to people is easily avoided. Never handle bats and the odds of being harmed will be extremely remote.

In more than four decades, public health records indicate that only 16 people in the United States and Canada have died of bat-borne diseases… Placed in perspective, this means that the odds of anyone dying of a disease from a bat are much less than one in a million.  In contrast, in the United States alone more than 10 people die annually from dog attacks, not to mention dog- and cat-transmitted diseases. - Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle, America’s Neighborhood Bats, University of Texas Press, Austin, 1988. In contrast, several children in a million are likely to die each year from encephalitis contracted through a mosquito bite.

On a cold winter night in 2008,
the backyard was quiet, and that‘s great.

The bird houses were hung in the trees with great care,
in hopes that our friends would stay warm again this year.

The birds were nestled all snug in their huts,
with visions of full feeders, even cracked nuts.
Mama in her nightgown, and I in my shorts,
had just settled our down to watch a show of some sort.

When out in the backyard, we heard the birds singing,
I jumped from the couch to see what was happening.
Away to the doorway I tripped and I stumbled,
threw open the door, and just started to mumble.

The moon on the KOI pond showed the new-fallen snow,
so bright was the lighted pathway, showing stepping stones aglow.

                             My eyes went to a statue, standing tall and so proud,
                                when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
                                   but a chimenea with a warm fires glow.

On the limb of the hawthorn, a chickadee appeared,
He was on a mission, there was no doubt.
He whistled and screeched, then flew all about

“Now Cardinal! Now Swallow!
Now, Finch and Barn Owl!
Come Woodpecker! Come, Martin!
Come Blue Birds, come all!

To the feeders on the table!
To the feeders on the lawn!

There are even sunflower seeds
all over the ground!”

The birds were all singing and eating some thistle,
While others at the pond were wetting their whistle,

When all the seed was gone they flew to their houses,
Staying warm through the night they like their birdhouses.

Tomorrow I will feed them again, and all through the winter!
Our birds are like family, we love them around.
Singing and whistling their own unique sounds.

Keep your birds feed, and treat them like family,
Next year they’ll be back and you’ll be there envy!

Warm Winter to all, and to all a good night!

Popular movies and myths have made many people fear bats, specifically the vampire bat. But the vampire bat is hardly the blood-sucking monster Hollywood has portrayed it to be. The truth is that bats are harmless to humans, and are often hurt by humans. The unfortunate relationship between humans and bats is made worse when bats are forced to live near humans because their natural habitats have been destroyed. Bats are often known to nest in trees near people’s homes, and sometimes on people’s houses.

Many people aren’t comfortable living side by side with bats. But misunderstanding doesn’t need to lead to ousting the bats entirely. Bat houses are built specifically for bats to nest in. These specially-built enclosures are designed to offer bats the darkness they prefer, and provide dozens of bats a safe shelter.

Those considering buying or building a bat house may like to know a little bit about the bats they might see in they backyard. There are more than 900 species of bats, and they make up one fifth of the world’s mammals. There are two groups of bats—larger, fruit-eating megabats and tiny insect-hunting microbats. Microbats live all over the world, while megabats live only in tropical areas.