Prairie Horizon Co. is an independent editorial website about attracting and caring for backyard wildlife in the United States. We publish practical, plain-English guides on seven subjects: hummingbird feeders, bird houses and nesting boxes, squirrel-proof feeders and baffles, butterfly and bee houses, seed and other bird feeders, suet and woodpecker feeders, and bat houses. Alongside the guides we offer a free bat house checker that tests a planned location against widely published placement guidance.
Why this site exists
Backyard wildlife advice online tends to arrive in one of two forms: sweet photos with no instructions, or product lists with no reasoning. Neither helps when nectar goes cloudy, a bird house sits empty for three summers or a squirrel hangs upside down from a brand-new feeder. We write for the moment before and after you buy or build: what to measure, what to check, what can go wrong and how to keep the animals safe.
What we cover
- Feeders: hummingbird, seed, tube, hopper, tray, suet and fruit feeders, with sizes, placement, seed choices and cleaning routines.
- Housing: nest boxes for birds, bee and insect houses, and bat houses, with the dimensions and placement that decide whether wildlife uses them.
- Habitat: native plants, bare ground, leaf litter and water, which do more for wildlife than any product.
- Protection: squirrel and predator guards, window-strike prevention and disease hygiene.
We write in American English, with U.S. measurements and U.S. conditions in mind, from northern woodlands to the open Plains and the hot Southwest. We keep a soft spot for the central United States, where wind, heat and wide sky shape what backyard wildlife needs.
How we write
The Prairie Horizon Co. Editorial Team writes every page, and every page carries an "Updated" date. Our standards are straightforward:
- Facts come from published sources. Numbers such as bat house heights and sun hours, nest box entrance sizes and nectar ratios come from recognized organizations, including Bat Conservation International, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch program, the Smithsonian's National Zoo and university cooperative extension services. Where sources differ, we say so.
- Rules of thumb are labeled. When a number is a common guideline rather than a hard standard, we describe it as one.
- No invented evidence. We do not publish made-up statistics, fabricated test results, fake reviews or invented experts.
- No brand rankings. We explain product types and how to choose between them. We do not rank named products or send you to a checkout.
- Plain language. We prefer short sentences, real measurements and honest trade-offs over hype.
How we are funded
Prairie Horizon Co. currently carries no advertising, no sponsored content and no affiliate links. If that ever changes, we will label it clearly and explain it in our Affiliate Disclosure. Editorial decisions are never influenced by a retailer or manufacturer.
Photography
Photos come from photographers on Unsplash and are credited on each page. They illustrate animals, habitat or a type of product, and a product seen in a photo is not an endorsement.
Corrections and feedback
If something on the site is wrong, unclear or out of date, please tell us. Email [email protected] with the page and the sentence in question, and a source if you have one. We correct errors promptly and update the page's date. You can also suggest topics: some of our best guides began as a question from a reader.
Safety and responsibility
Wild animals can carry diseases, and bats in particular can carry rabies. The information here is general and educational. It is not veterinary, medical, pest-control or legal advice, and it does not replace guidance from a licensed wildlife professional, a veterinarian or your local health department. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for the details, and see the Contact page to reach us.