How to attract moths and bats to your garden | The Wildlife Trusts (2024)

FAQs

How to attract moths and bats to your garden | The Wildlife Trusts? ›

Plant flowers that release their scent in the evening to attract moths and, ultimately, bats looking for an insect-meal into your garden. Flowers that release their scent in the evening are a big draw for moths so planting them is a great way of attracting moths into your garden.

Common wisdom has it that moths visit night-blooming plants with flowers that are typically white or pale in color such as sacred Datura (Datura wrightii), morning glory (Convolvulus spp.), and common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis).

There are two general methods for attracting moths to an area where you can observe them. The first is by using lights and the second is by using bait. Each method will often attract different types of moths so it can be advantageous to do both if you want to attract the greatest diversity of moths.

Some bat-friendly native plants that will attract the insects bats love: Wild Bergamot (Bee Balm), Monarda fistulosa. Spotted Beebalm, Monarda punctata. Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea.

Moths are attracted to light, which is why you often see them flying around lamps and other sources of illumination. If you have any areas in your home where there is a lot of light shining through, moths will be drawn to them.

For an adult male moth, two categories of odors are innately attractive: pheromone released by conspecific females, and the floral scents of certain, often co-evolved, plants. These odors consist of multiple volatiles in characteristic mixtures.

Bats hate bright lights and stay away from well-lit areas. Ensure all holes, crevices, and cracks are sealed. When all holes and cracks have been filled in and sealed, bats can't get back inside. Use scents that deter bats around your home, like peppermint, eucalyptus, cinnamon, or mothballs.

Bats are attracted to plants with high levels of alcohol, esters, aldehydes, and aliphatics in their nectar as these are very pungent chemicals. Here are some great night-blooming flowers for your moonlight garden to attract bats: Datura. Moonflowers.

Because bats are nocturnal and catch night-flying insects, it's vital to plant accordingly and include flowers that stay open at night or bloom in the evening, according to Bat Conservation International.

How to make a moth garden? ›

Moths are attracted to gardens with a mix of plants that include grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees. A moth-friendly garden should be pesticide free. It should also contain mulch, not rock. Plant clippings and fallen leaves should be allowed to accumulate a little for safe hiding spots for moths and their larvae.

Moths are strongly attracted to ultraviolet and blue radiation - Brehm - 2021 - Insect Conservation and Diversity - Wiley Online Library.

Almost all moths are nocturnal, meaning that they are most active at night.

Fragrant flowers, herbs, and night-blooming plants attract nocturnal insects, which, in turn, lure bats. The more insects, the better. Try planting dahlia, French marigold, nicotiana, evening primrose, thyme, raspberry, or honeysuckle. Pale-colored blooms also have a good chance of bringing in bugs.

Bats are attracted to the floral fragrance of bat-pollinated agaves—the aroma being musky and sweet. Bat-pollinated agave flowers are also sturdy, have a well-developed cup that holds nectar and are often maroon. Bee-pollinated flowers are fragile, have a shallow cup and are yellow.

Leave Dead Trees

The narrow, rough space between the bark and the wood provides the ideal space for a bat (or few) to squeeze in nice and tight. If a dead tree does not pose a safety concern, consider leaving it in your yard to provide protected refuge for bats and the insects they eat.

Use organic methods to get rid of the moths, such as using nematodes to kill the larvae or planting marigolds around your garden to repel them.

Adult moths and butterflies are harmless to plants and use their siphoning proboscis (long mouthpart that is used like a drinking straw) to feed on nectar and pollinate the flowers they visit.

Many people don't realize that moths are important pollinators. When they are keeping us awake at night, it's hard to remember that many species play a critical role in the garden just as much as the beloved butterflies. Sphinx or Hawk moths are best seen at night when they visit evening-blooming flowers.