Same here. We’ve had bat boxes for years at both our places with no takers. Maybe someday.
My BIL put up a 10 foot fence around his garden because he got tired of the deer eating his veggies. I was visiting, and watched the deer jump right over that fence INTO the garden.
Bats are indeed very picky about their real estate! What we learned is that they use bat houses to raise their young. The house has to be dark colored and face south. There should be a source of water nearby (less than a quarter of a mile) for the mama bats to drink - it is the very first thing they do when they fly out to hunt after the sunset. And it takes some time for them to move in, so don’t give up yet! ![]()
Yes they are, and my tall attic proved to be the perfect spot. I’m not surprised to learn it meets all those criteria. There were bats living in it when we moved in, and we paid nice money for a pro to seal up all the little holes and install an exclusion door. Haven’t had any problems since. But maybe we should install bat boxes nearby since they liked the attic so much.
One did get in our bedroom one evening while the lights were on and we were awake, so we saw it right away. Fortunately our bedroom has a door to our back deck. We flung open the door and stayed in a corner until it found its way out. We did NOT want to go get those dang rabies shots.
We had to put up a Bat Hotel (not just a box) at the resort we were getting ready to resell after acquisition by a Savings and Loan and then failure of the S&L We called the resort a Law School education in one property - it needed the bat hotel to get permits, a liquor license, went in and out of bankruptcy several times, all the building permits, employment issues, animal issues (the ones we wanted like horses and those we didn’t like coyotes). You name it, it went wrong on this property.
Some of the bats in our area seem to prefer our patio umbrellas to anyone’s bat hotel
We eventually had to get the covers that you can cinch closed at the bottom to stop them.
This morning while walking our leashed dog on our street, a spotted fawn appeared on the side of the road looking at us (about 20 ft away). We continued to walk past it and then a few seconds later the probable mother appeared on the other side of the road (about 20 ft also away) looking at us. She lifted up in a threatening manner, maybe stomped. Our dog normally does not respond to deer but did apparently feel like it was a threat and barked once and she ran off into some bushes. Perhaps she was trying to lear our dog away from her fawn. We kept walking down the street and looked back to see that the mother ran back to her fawn and they ran off together into the bushes. So relieved that ended well, and to see a mother’s protection in action.
My friend lives in central Denver in a very nice neighborhood where the houses were built in the 1920’s (at least the first house, many have been razed and rebuilt). They are $1M to $3M houses. Friend is kind of nuts and has 3 HUGE cats that are inside cats and 3 dogs, one is huge and 2 more normal sized. And in the backyard there are chickens and bee hives and maybe some other critters.
The other night 3 chickens were attacked, probably by a racoon or fox or coyote. They live in the middle of the block with just a fence dividing them from the next row of houses.
Wildlife in the city.
I’ve found a few bunnies who were attacked in our yard this year, and one morning (around 8 am, so not early) I saw a creature walk across the yard from the garden level windows in my basement. By the time I got upstairs to check it out the animal was gone. I think it was a coyote or fox. I also live in a regular city house, but we do have a canal nearby (that has a walking path and often there is evidence of large wildlife (bear poop?).
I was waiting to pick up my husband at our smaller airport. Cell phone lot was closed off, so I parked in the empty lot of a nearby business just a minute away. A giant coyote casually strutted through the lot towards the airport! Like he has been doing this every night. Hope he did not make it onto the tarmac!
We’ve had skunk in the yard the last five nights in a row. We close up the hole where they come in and they just dig out another spot. The dog and I are now going out at night together, with him leashed up. Hopefully they’ll move on to another yard sooner rather than later!
Lovely deer! I’m sorry they eat folks’ vegetation, but am sure it’s tasty for them.
I don’t mind our deer eating the flowering parts of the yucca plant and the junipers. Our tomato plants are under screens.
Question- do you have a favorite bird feeder that is both squirrel proof and chipmunk proof? I hang my tube shaped hummingbird feeder on a tree post log at our deck. I would like to use that same hang in the off season, it is about 6 inches away.
I went to a wild birds unlimited store today and they had a finch tubular feeder that has very tiny holes in the plastic tube and you have to buy that kind of feed. This may be my only option. I did see online weight adjusted feeders but I suspect a chipmunk will be too light weight and too small to be stopped.
I want to feed the birds in the winter- we have a lot of canyon wrens and golden finches here. I feed the gamble quail at the ground level but I know the chipmunks are eating the feed also. Ideas?
Would a feeder mounted on a pole from the ground, pole covered by a slinky, be an option? Little ground animals usually can’t climb a slinky.
I’m not sure- but the chipmunks can access it from the top or bottom or even side if they jump. I now know why in the world a slinky showed up on the bird feeder search! I’m trying to mount it on the deck so I can see it from the kitchen window as we do now.
I also saw a chicken wire like tube feeder that is similar to the plastic tube. That also requires special feed.
We had a big hawk in our yard this morning. I’m hoping the rabbits took notice! He looked huge when he was in flight.
A red-shouldered hawk? We have some in our neighborhood.
I was told it was a Cooper’s hawk but I honestly don’t know!
There’s a family of quail living in our backyard. A mom, dad, and 4 babies. They’re so cute! Hope they stick around. ![]()



