How to Get Rid of Bats From Your Fruits

Bats enjoy eating bugs, and are an insurmountable help to fruit growers trying to control insects. However, they can also wreak havoc on the fruit they are indirectly protecting. There are humane methods to deter these otherwise farm-friendly animals from munching your produce. Bats are nocturnal; therefore, most of the bat-controlling techniques must work at night.

Things You'll Need

• Netting
• Owl recording
• Pie pans
• Plastic bags

Instructions

1. Pick fruit when it is ripe. Bats eat fruit that is ripe or overripe; therefore, if you take their preferred food source off the trees, they won't bother with the rest of the fruit. Refrain from taking cherries, citrus fruits or dates off the tree before they are ripe. These fruits must get their sugars from the tree and will lose their flavor if taken off before they're ready.

2. Place thin plastic bags around fruit while they are ripening on the tree. Bats are attracted to the smell of fruit. The plastic bag will protect the fruit and lock in the smell.

3. Anchor a tent of thick netting around the tree. This method is quite effective, especially if you have a few trees. Make sure that the tent goes to the ground, so that the bats can't find a way through. Use a thick netting in order to prevent both birds and bats from getting tangled.

4. Play a tape of an owl's hunting call near fruit trees. Owls are a natural predator to bats. You can use an extension cord or batteries to power a stereo through out the night. Bats have a keen sense of hearing, and will likely be frightened off by the owl call.

5. Hang shiny pie pans around the fruit trees. Bats can become discombobulated when confronted with a multitude of shiny objects around a fruit tree.

Tips & Warnings

• Check any manmade structures on your property for bat roosts.

• Avoid killing bats. Bats eat the insects that prey on fruit and destroy crops. By killing bats, you put your fruit trees at rick for insects.

References

• How to Get Rid of Bats