How to Bring Wildlife Closer to Home
Sonia Zjawinski
I'm one of those people who always wants more animals around. Dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, goats, horses, the list goes on and on. Don't worry, I only have three cats, but I try to get my animal fill by luring wildlife closer to home. Thanks to bird feeders, bat houses, and carefully chosen plants, you can have a little wildlife sanctuary in your own backyard.
After the jump, a round-up of some products that make it easy to bring the great outdoors closer in. 
Wire Mesh Garden Stake: Sometimes it's not convenient to hang a bird feeder somewhere that you can safely watch. These stakes can be put anywhere the soil is soft enough. Each features a wire mesh feeder that keeps the food from spilling out and attracts finches, along with other clinging birds.
Squirrel Under Glass Feeder: What's better than watching an adorable squirrel quickly shove seeds in his mouth? Watching one do so from inside a glass bottle! Squirrels first wriggle through the round hole on the side of the cedar box and then into the glass jar, which is filled with yummy treats.
Woodlink NABAT Audubon Bat Shelter: Did you know that a single brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes an hour? They're one of the most natural ways to combat pests, but with more and more of their habitat---i.e., trees to nest in---being torn down, their numbers are dwindling. You can help the population by installing bat houses high on trees in your yard or even on the side of your house. Since where you choose to install your bat house will influence whether or not bats come to roost there, check this site for tips.
Aspects Vista Dome Feeder: For those with squirrels kicking birds out of the feeder, this has an adjustable top to keep those greedy rascals out.
Antique Hummingbird Feeder: Holds 10 ounces of nectar and features the color red, which attracts hummingbirds, only at its feeding spouts
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Plant flowers that attract butterflies: Sure, you could buy a feeder, but what's better than bringing nature in the old fashioned way? Butterfly bushes, marigolds, oregano, and purple coneflowers are all butterfly favorites. First find out what kind of flutterers are in your area and then plant accordingly.
Plant flowers that attract butterflies: Sure, you could buy a feeder, but what's better than bringing nature in the old fashioned way? Butterfly bushes, marigolds, oregano, and purple coneflowers are all butterfly favorites. First find out what kind of flutterers are in your area and then plant accordingly.
Garden Jewels 10-ounce glass hummingbird feeder: This modern feeder is made of tempered, scratch-resistant glass and can hold 10 ounces of nectar.
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