Some of the things that landowners can do to help bats are the things that make the habitat more bat-friendly. Many of these things also help other wildlife, and thus in turn help us.
- Leave big trees, cavities, stumps and at least some areas of “Messy” habitat. It’s best to have the messy habitats linked with corridors to other wild areas so that wildlife can move in and out;
- Have non-polluted freshwater ponds, marshes, creeks with natural habitat around them – again some messy habitat linked to other wild areas;
- Grow native plant species;
- Use no chemical pesticides esp. insecticides, but also no others such as herbicides or fungicides;
- The best way to protect wildlife and have pets is to keep domestic cats indoors or in enclosed cat gardens. With special cat – human gardens, cats get to be safe from traffic accidents, predators, enjoy your company and live great lives;
- Put up and monitor Bat Boxes so that bats may have additional habitat and we will gradually learn more about bats, such as how many are in our areas. The numbers are essential to understanding whether bats are being affected by negative influences;
- For those who might explore caves or roost sites, especially with the onset of White Nose Disease, it is extremely critical to avoid entering bat caves. Also bats will benefit if we avoid disturbing areas around other roosts, both bat houses and natural roosts such as tree cavities.
