Bat-friendly gardening in the South Okanagan - Times Chronicle

As gardeners across the Okanagan eagerly await the arrival of spring, the BC Community Bat Program is reminding garden enthusiasts of the importance of the insect eating bats and how they can support these important nocturnal creatures.

The Okanagan is home to at least 14 different species of insect-eating bats – the highest diversity of bats in the province. 

Supporting pollinators in your garden helps to support bats as they prey on insects at night. Since bats are active from dusk to dawn, having night-blooming flowers in your garden attracts nighttime moths which are a great source of protein for bats. This practice is called “moonlight gardening,” according to the bat program. 

Invasive species like burdock can entangle bats. If you plan on harvesting burdock, please be responsible and prune out the flowers before they go to seed and become traps for bats. Ken Dzinbal photo.

The BC Community Bat Program offers eleven tips in cultivating bat-friendly gardens and nurturing the rich biodiversity of the South Okanagan:

1. Start planning early and choose native perennial plants with long flowering season or those that flower at different times of the year.
   
2. Variety is key, pick plants with different flower colour, shape, and fragrance. White flowers attract nocturnal insects like moths that bats find delicious.
   
3. Wait until temperatures stay consistently above 10°C to start to rake and prune. Many pollinating insects are wintering in dead leaves and hollow stems of last-year plants. Bats sometimes also sleep under leaves and in wood piles.
   
4. Invasive species like burdock can entangle bats and birds. Regularly remove weeds from your garden. If you plan on harvesting burdock, please be responsible and prune out the flowers before they go to seed and become traps for bats. (Image 1)
   
5. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers kill insects and poison wildlife. Practice organic gardening by avoiding chemical products. Try composting to provide organic nutrients in your garden.
   
6. Fact: Bats can fertilize gardens with their nitrogen-rich guano (bat poop).
   
7. Switch outdoor light bulbs to “warm” toned or filtered LEDs (under 3,000K) to reduce light pollution that harms bats and other animals. Dimmers, motion sensors, and timers can help to reduce illumination and save energy.
   
8. Keep cats indoors or supervised outdoors to avoid predation on bats and birds.
   
9. Keep dead standing trees (if it is safe to do so) and mature trees on your property to provide roosting areas for bats. Bats like to roost behind peeling tree bark and bark crevices.
   
10. If you have a lake, creek or wetland by your house help protect natural water-side vegetation; it provides vital food, shelter and water for nocturnal insects and bats.
    
11. Consider adding a garden pond to create a biodiversity oasis in your backyard. Ponds need to be at least three metres wide to serve as effective drinking sources for bats.
    

For more information on bat-friendly gardening and recommended plants for the Okanagan region, please refer to it’s information poster or visit the program’s website at the BC Community Bat Programs website. 

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2024-03-11 06:47:00Z
CBMiS2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRpbWVzY2hyb25pY2xlLmNhL2JhdC1mcmllbmRseS1nYXJkZW5pbmctaW4tdGhlLXNvdXRoLW9rYW5hZ2FuL9IBAA