Animal House Bat House (Large)

Animal House Bat House (Large)

Bats consume a tremendous number of night-flying insects and are a great choice for natural pest control. Watch with satisfaction as your bats leave their house at sunset to feed on those pesky mosquitoes. Hand made in Canada from white pine and stained dark to absorb heat, this two chamber bat house is perfect for […]

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Garden Gate: Episode 10 – Bird, bat, butterfly and bee houses

Bird House

CHEX TV air date: Fri. Apr. 19th, 2013 Click here to watch this episode of?The Garden Gate. Gary Cowie from Animal House Creations was our guest on this episode of The Garden Gate.? Gary constructs wonderful homes for many of our natural friends. He has thoroughly researched what specifications are needed for proper homes. The […]

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GARDEN GATE: Episode 260 – Choosing the best birdhouse and when to put them out (Feb 24, 2023)

Getting your bird houses up early, preferably in March, gives time for the houses to slightly weather and be ready for the birds’ return. If you get them up too late they may have already found a suitable nesting place. We carry lots of bird houses, some more decorative than practical. Some birds prefer a […]

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Garden Gate” Episode 212 Bird houses

Besides bird feeders and bird baths, some birds also need nesting boxes. We carry a few different lines from different suppliers, but they’re all made in Canada. Our most popular are the practical designs by Animal House Creations in Lakefield, Ontario. We have houses for chickadees, wrens, woodpeckers, owls, blue birds, robins, doves, butterflies and […]

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Garden Tips: Going to Bat for Bats

Bats are remarkable creatures. They’re the only flying mammals in the world, and they use echolocation to catch flying insects on the wing in the dark. Imagine looking for your food with your ears… There are 8 bat species in Ontario, 4 of which are listed as Endangered on Ontario’s Species At Risk (SARO) List. […]

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Gary Cowie – Animal House Creations

Animal House Creations is the business of woodworker and outdoor enthusiast Gary Cowie. Gary has developed shelter designs for cavity nesting animals, including bats, bees, bluebirds, butterflies, owls, and eastern grey squirrels. Gary has sold his hand-crafted houses at The Avant Garden Shop since 2012. They are a big hit! The construction of Gary’s products […]

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McIntosh Crest Mug – Robert Bateman, Chickadee

Robert Bateman’s “Lively Pair” ” The Chickadee seems to be a winter bird. This, of course, is not the case. The chickadee is a resident. When the leaves are on the trees, the chickadees are too busy with family matters and have no time to waste around your house. They are working over the forest […]

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Garden Gate: Episode 31 – Bats and white nose syndrome

Bat with white nose syndrome

Chex TV air date: Feb. 7th, 2014 Click here to watch this episode of the Garden Gate. Not everyone is a fan of bats. ?But bats eat 1000’s of mosquitoes everyday and should be encouraged in our gardens and yards. ?You can put up bats houses to attract them. We carry a few styles made […]

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Flight or Fight: The Challenges Facing Birds in Spring

A male Northern Cardinal faces his reflection in a car's side mirror.

  The Problem with the Flight As our migratory birds return to spring habitats, it’s a wonderful time to watch behaviours specific to this time of year. Many species migrate in large flocks, but once they arrive, their mating displays and territorial behaviours kick in. They chase or are chased by other birds over mates […]

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