North Haven’s “Bat Man” Program: Bat House Workshop

When the Daytime Gardeners decided to learn more about bats as a natural insect control, they did not have to search for an expert on bats. Scott Ward, a North Haven resident and specialist in bat rehabilitation, is eager to share his knowledge of and experiences with bats. He will speak on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at the Daytime Gardeners meeting held at the North Haven Recreation Center, 7 Linsley Avenue, North Haven, from 10:45 AM – 12:00 noon.

Crevice bats need caves, old mines, and other shelters, for roosting, but these locations are becoming scarce. A safe roost is important for bats so they can sleep during the day, raise young, and hibernate through the winter months. Providing a proper bat house on your property gives the bats a place to roost, and they will serve as a natural insect control, working for you to reduce or eliminate the need for pesticides. A single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects every hour, and each bat usually eats 6,000 to 8,000 insects each night. Bats are one of the world's longest-lived mammals for its size, with life spans of almost 40 years, if they do not succumb to white-nose syndrome.

Providing bat houses can help build the populations of many valuable bat species that eat many crop-damaging insects, such as cucumber and June beetles, stink bugs, leafhoppers and corn worm moths. A make-and-take workshop will follow the discussion for those who wish to assemble a bat house kit prepared by Daytime Gardener Walt Brockett. Directions will be provided on how to install the bat house on your property.

Join us to learn more about bats and how we can help them survive. Guests are welcome and encouraged to participate in the workshop. A $5.00 guest donation is appreciated, and a $10.00 materials fee is required from those who wish to assemble their own bat house. Please call Daytime Gardeners at 203-239-1557 for more details and to register for the meeting.

Daytime Gardeners of North Haven is a member of the Federated Garden Clubs of CT, Inc., New England Garden Clubs, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc. New members are always welcome. For information on our activities and membership, email proto.mary@yahoo.com, and be sure to visit us on Facebook at Daytime Gardeners of North Haven.