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Re: Mosquitos and Bats

This wonderful message from Maddy Harland apparently didn't reach
the list...

Michael
yount@csf.colorado.edu


------- Forwarded Message

Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 13:05:04 +0100
From: maddy@permaculture.co.uk (Maddy Harland - Permaculture Magazine)
Subject: Re: Mosquitoes and Bats

>In a message dated 1/10/98 1:50:31 PM, yount@csf.Colorado.EDU wrote:
>
><<Their web site says,
>"A single little brown bat can catch 600 mosquitoes in just one hour."
>
>Given that some bats act as pollinators, I wonder if anyone, in
>the vein of butterfly gardens, is keen on bat gardens.  :)
>
>Michael
>yount@csf.colorado.edu
>>>
Hi Michael

We have a bat garden! (pippertrelles and horseshoes). It is a small
microclimate. A square area, large native hedge to north (mostly beech and
hawthorn), large flint sided buildings to east and south and and large
evergreen tree and other shrubs to the west. It is a small front garden
with a pond. The bats like the still shelter and the heat from the walls
and roost in the eaves of both houses. They swoop in circles around the
garden and pick insects out of the air (mostly midges around the tress and
shrubs).

We are about the change the garden, take out two tree, plant others, and
grow mushrooms in the dark corner on logs, move the pond andmake it larger
and plant more insect attracting plants for the bats (and martins who also
like it there). Does anyone have any suggestions for plants? Obvious ones
are sedums, golden rod and other temerate plants that are common in
companion planting to attract insects. I would also think expanding the
pond and having fairly shallow inlets would help (crenellated edges).

Being plagued by cow-eating mosquitos is not a consideration in Britain as
it is in the US where everything is supposedly bigger and better (!) and
the midges are not a problem in southern England (unlike Scotland where
midges can fly up a Scotman's kilt and lift him clean off the ground, as
they digest unmentionable appendages).

Enough, I am genuinely seeking suggestions for bat enhanced planting. Would
love a few humming bird attractant plants but that isn't possible. Any
offers, Ladies and gentleman?

Maddy



Maddy Harland, Editor, Permaculture Magazine
Permanent Publications, Hyden House Ltd.
The Sustainability Centre, East Meon,
Hampshire GU32 1HR, England
maddy@permaculture.co.uk
Tel:+44(0)1730 823311. Fax:+44(0)1730 823322

The Permaculture Information Site & The Earth Repair Catalogue

http://www.permaculture.co.uk

"Permaculture - the Magazine that is planting seeds..."



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