Backyard Habitat
 Providing for the Needs of Wildlife: Shelter
All wildlife need shelter to live—plants, brush piles, logs, rocks, bird and bat houses, bee boxes, ponds, and streams are all homes for wildlife. These areas provide animals a safe haven from people, predators, and weather while giving them a place to raise young. Providing shelter for wildlife can be as easy as putting up a bird box, or as complex as redesigning your entire backyard—it’s up to you.
Helpful Tips Before You Begin
- Keep it simple, keep it clean: Only plan to add as much shelter as you can maintain! If you add bird or bat houses, these will need to be cleaned on an annual basis to provide maximum health.
- Location, location, location: This is the common theme of backyard habitats! Plan a spot that offers wildlife some seclusion from active areas of the yard, but that also provides easy access to food and water sources.
Why Shelter?
- All animals depend on adequate shelter for survival.
- Increasing the amount of shelter areas in your backyard will increase the number and type of wildlife that visit your habitat.
- Building and maintaining animal shelters are fun and educational opportunities for families.
Shelter 101
 Choose your location: Take a careful look at where you want to place your shelter and answer a few basic questions. Is it a sunny or shady location? How much space do you have available? Is the location accessible for cleaning and maintenance? Is there food and water nearby? See WDFW’s page on Nest Boxes for Birds for tips on placement.
- Choose your shelter: Depending on your space and budget there are many different types of shelter you can add to your backyard. Follow the links below to choose which feature is right for you and to get plans, tips and techniques for building, installation, and maintenance. Remember native plants and water features can provide shelter too.
Nest Boxes for Birds (WDFW)
Economy Bat Houses (WDFW) and Post Bat House (WDFW)
Nests for Native Bees (The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation)
Brush Piles and Wildlife (Skagit County Extension)
- Build it and they will come: Now it’s time to get busy! Most projects can be easily completed in a weekend, and make for fun family time as well. Check the links in step 2 to determine the appropriate time to install, clean, and remove (if necessary) the shelters.
- Enjoy. You did it! Now that you’ve provided food, water, and shelter, ensure the continued health of wildlife in your habitat by adopting sustainable gardening practices.
Next up: Sustainable Gardening
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