Fruit Bats feed on flowers, leaves and fruit, while Microbats prefer insects. The best way to provide food for the bats that may visit your garden is to plant the right trees. Those with large fruits or floral clusters, preferably white, with plenty of pollen and nectar, are best. A few excellent native trees to plant are Paperbarks (Melaleuca spp.), Red Bloodwoods (Corymbia gummifera), and Native Figs (Ficus spp.). Paperbarks are spread across Australia, while Red Bloodwoods are naturally present along the east coast from Victoria up to Queensland, and Native Figs occur throughout the tropics and subtropics. The pale blooms of Red Bloodwoods and Paperbarks also attract nocturnal pollinators like moths, which in turn bring in the microbats, who feed on them.
