Boy, I'd love to put up a bat house, too, dirt man! I have mosquitoes out the gazoo in my backyard because I let it grow wild (for butterflies and moths). It would certainly be a 24/7 buffet for them!

Susan

We haven't done much to attract bats but we have lots of bats. We also have purple martins and tons and tons of dragonflies. Between them, they help control the large mosquito population but nothing keeps the skeeters completely under control.

From watching the behavior of our mosquito-eaters, it seems that the two biggest draws are the outdoor security lights and the ponds. We have 5 ponds, 2 of which were here when we bought the place and we added the other 3. The flying bugs must spend a lot of time in the air above the ponds because that is where the bats, purple martins and dragonflies spend lots of time, flying around and around and around endlessly.

I do plant a lot of night-blooming flowers because they attract a lot of insects of all kinds, and the wide variety of insects attracts the bats, birds, and dragonflies.

We don't have a bathouse, but do leave tall, dead, hollow trees standing in the woods because they often serve as homes for bats and others.

If you put up a bathouse, you have to site it carefully so it gets enough shade. Bats won't stay in a house that gets too hot.

Dawn

I wish something would eat our skeeters here, we have bats but they are natural to this area, I see them flying around all the time at night.

We have it really bad here, with standing water in ditches on almost every block in town, that the city will not fix
low lying areas in fields and yards..
the bats, birds etc.. just can't keep up.

I used the skeeters dunks a few years back, and they worked really well with any more hatching out.. but now the dunks have really gotten out of my price range.

last year, If I went outside dawn, or evening. I would have to spray down with deet deep woods. and that would only last 30-45 minutes before the skeeters would be all over you, and run you back in the house..

I have already seen some skeeters hatching out for this year..!!! : ( : (

If there is something that can work for a 2 acres let me know!

Thanks for the responses everyone.

I guess I'll give the bat house a shot...even if it doesn't work my kids would probably have fun building it with me. I have ten fully grown pecan trees on about an acre, so hopefully that provides enough shade for the house.

Could you please let me know some names of night-blooming flowers that grow well here?

Thanks again.

dirt man

Here's a list of a few of the night-blooming flowers that grow here:

MOONFLOWER VINE (Ipomoea alba) -- You can get seed for these on the Burpee Seed Rack at Wal-mart for 97@ a packet. Soak the seed for 24 hrs. prior to planting to encourage it to sprout.

FOUR O'CLOCKS: (Mirabilis jalapa)--many named ones, including 'Alba' (white-flowered), "Custard and Cream" (white and yellow), "Marbles" (pink, white, yellow, I think). "Broken Colors" (splotched and lined patterns on petals in shades of fuschia, pink, yellow), "Limelight" (chartreuse leaves with pinkish flowers) and "Tea Time Rose". You also can usually get a packet at Wal Mart (Burpee) generically listed as "Four O'Clock" that has mixed bloom colors. The other named varieties are available online from Select Seed.

FLOWERING TOBACCO, aka NICOTIANA or FLOWERING NICOTINE:
Nicotiana mutabilis x alata "Bella"
Nicotiana alata.....many named hybrid ones are available, including "Lime Green", "Crimson Better" and
"Perfume Deep Purple"
Nicotiana sylvestris, aka Woodland tobacco
Nicotiana alata -- Jasmine tobacco
Nicotiana suaveolens (white flower with pale pink blush)
'TN86' a tall type with small yellow flowers

Datura metel "Belle Blanche", "Black Currant Swirl", "Curlylocks", etc.
Datura inoxia
Night Phlox "Midnight Candy"

Missouri primrose (Oenothera missouriensis) native, yellow blooms

Night-blooming cereus cactus (Plant isn't much to see, but flowers are spectacular)

Evening-scented stock (Matthiola)

Brugmansia--many named ones available

Night-blooming Jasmine (Cestrus nocturnus)--not winter hardy here

Fragrant clock vine (Thunbergia fragrans)

White-Eyed Susie, aka as White-Flowered Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata 'Susie White Eyed")

Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) not winter hardy here

White Coral Vine (Antigono leptopus 'Alba'--prob. not winter hardy here.

That's a few to start with.

Dawn