In some parts of Australian, Flying Fox bats can be a very big problem. Just look at Batemans Bay in New South Wales where over 100,000 bats have set up home to see how much damage can be done. As someone who has recently had a smaller flying fox problem in your back garden, it is time to survey and repair the damage now they have moved on.
While one or two flying foxes sitting in your trees are not going to cause any major damage, 30 or more hanging around to feed is going to be more noticeable. When this number of bats are sitting on the top branches of your tree, the branches are not strong enough to support that much weight and they will snap.
One of the first things you need to do once the bats have moved on is to get a tree consultant to have a look at how much damage was done to these branches. They can then make a recommendation about which branches can be saved and which ones should be lopped off before they get diseased due to being weak. Diseased branches can kill a healthy tree, so do not leave them unattended for long.
Young Tree Protection
Flying Foxes love fruit trees, so if you are worried about them coming back to feast on your young trees, then it is time to protect them. One of the best ways to do this is to cover them with netting to create a barrier between the bats and the fruit.
Garden nurseries and hardware stores have the netting you need to protect your trees. Don't be tempted to use flimsy nylon material because flying foxes can get trapped in it. A stressed-out, trapped bat is not something you want to have to set free as it may scratch or bite when feeling threatened.
Building a frame for the net is as simple as driving four wooden posts into the ground around the tree to form a square. The posts should be higher than the height of the tree. The netting is then secured tightly to the posts using a staple gun. This will then protect the trees from bat weight damage, and it prevents the bats getting to the fruit while the tree has a chance to grow older and stronger.
Flying fox tree damage can be both prevented and repaired. If you need further assistance caring for bat-battered trees, get professional advice from a tree specialist. They have more tips on how you can make sure your trees will survive a bat infestation.