Bats, Spiders and Toads

Wildlife

"Come forth into the Light of things,
Let Nature be your teacher."
William Wordsworth

As Florida’s population skyrockets more and more green space is consumed…wild animals, birds and butterflies are squeezed out of the habitat they need for their survival. There is an ever increasing need to manage not only the existing forests and large landholdings for wildlife but also the quarter acre suburban lot, the 5 acre townhouse and the 40 acre subdivision. Those managing our parks, large and small, and our roadsides and highways can all help to replace their disappearing habitat by planting native wildflowers.

Your investment in time and money will more than be returned when you see the natural beauty of the wildflowers. Your extra reward will be the birds, butterflies and small animals they attract. You will certainly feel a sense of pride in what you are doing for the environment. Each of us can help to preserve the beauty of nature for our future generations to enjoy.

Bats, spiders and toads (oh my!)

Skunks, shrews, spiders and screech owls.

Snakes, toads and frogs, wasps, bats and beetles. All very special friends to a gardener. Without their help we would be up to our proverbial armpits in insects (not to mention mice and rats!). Yet we make their lives very difficult, and in some instances impossible. We kill and shun them, and destroy their habitats instead of encouraging and welcoming them as creatures whose lives make our own more livable. Bat

A single gray bat can eat up to 3000 insects in a night and they are gentle, intelligent creatures that are harmless to man. A toad eats 150,000 insects and slugs in one season and a snake does about the same. All snakes, even the very few poisonous ones, are beneficial to man, keeping the rat, mouse and rabbit population under control. More people are harmed by “Government approved” toxic chemicals than are ever harmed by snakes or spiders. Spider bites are a rare occurrence, and there are very few that are actually poisonous, but the spiders usefulness to Skunk mankind is important. As we begin to understand the part wildlife plays in the food “web” we can welcome them into our lives and gardens, and help restore balance to our environments.

Things you can do to encourage wildlife in your yard.

Create a meadow or "wild" area. Mow only once or twice a year, digging out unwanted and overly aggressive plants like Canadian thistle and bindweed.

Add a pond. All creatures drink water, so the addition of a pond, even a tiny one, is worth a thousand plants.

Don’t rake up dead leaves where you don’t need to.

Create a brush pile of prunings in some quiet corner. It makes a wonderful shelter for small birds and other creatures.

Leave an old log or two to rot and grow moss somewhere in the yard.

Plant some large evergreens if you have room, and leave the ground level branches unpruned. They will provide winter food and shelter for many birds and other critters.

Leave some weeds, clover, grasses, and vegetables to go to seed and feed the wildlife over the winter. You might find some volunteering in early spring eliminating the need to plant.

Plant a patch of "bird food": sunflowers, buckwheat, millet, grain sorghum. Other wildlings will enjoy it as well. Check with the local State Wildlife agents to see what might be best for your area.

Plant a well rounded mix of plants—evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees, fruits, herbs, veggies and flowers.

Use natives and plants well adapted to your area.

Plant a hedgerow or thicket, using many different plants. Space plants 5'-8' apart to allow room for growth, and leave them unpruned except to remove some of the oldest wood now and then.

Put up bird, bat and owl houses.

Create a small rock pile or rambling rock wall for habitat, hiding and sunning.

Put out a birdbath and keep it filled with fresh water, especially during very dry spells or very cold spells in winter.

Leave standing dead trees where you can. They are used by woodpeckers and by other birds as well for perching and nesting.

Plant or leave vines such as Virginia creeper, greenbrier, and native honeysuckle and wild grape for perches, nesting, and food for a wide range of bird species.

FOR A NEW LOT:

Frame the yard with backdrops of large trees and tall hedges.

Create an understory of small flowering trees planted in groups.

Plant shrubs and groundcovers under trees.

Select plants carefully for the site and for a year-round food supply.

Deer, rabbits and raccoons

Deer, rabbits and raccoons all have cute and cuddly reputations with everyone except the gardener or farmer who has to compete with them for food or flowers. If these friendly creatures are regular visitors to your yard, you will need to take appropriate measures to protect your plants. Deer will unfortunately nibble happily on many favorite trees and shrubs. They love fruits, veggies and flowers as much as we do, and will make it impossible to grow many plants. Outside of erecting an 8'-9' wire fence or a solid 6' cedar fence around your entire yard, your only option is to confine all their favorites to a single enclosed area. Plant the rest of your landscape with things the deer in your area don’t usually consume. Check with your local Extension Service for "deer resistant" lists. Rabbits can usually be kept at bay with a 2' high fence of chicken wire, while an electric wire border is a good deterrent for raccoons.

When the birds you have invited to share your garden start to wipe out your entire crop of blueberries, cherries and grapes, simply throw bird netting over the plants. With a wide variety of food plants available to them, this may never be a problem.