We don’t often see barn owls in public, but when they do, they are indeed worthy of our admiration. They are rodent-eating machines, and they are a welcome part of any farm.
This is not just a convenience for farmers, the US government is currently Report that up to 20% of the crop is consumed by rats each year.
Farmers are increasingly going to greater extremes to control those populations, but barn owls are willing to do so.
Professor Matt Johnson has been involved in a research projects at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.
They wanted to see how effective the owls were at getting rid of rodents. As natural predators, they do it without question, but farmers are beginning to grasp and appreciate what they can do to save their crops.
Looks like those little owls can make pretty good friends too.
In the Napa Valley, the word has been coined and farmers are using them to control pests that attack their grape harvests. This is nothing new. They have been at the forefront because they started about 40 years ago.
For many years, toxic fertilizers have been used to control rodent populations. Unfortunately, those rodenticides also spoil the flavor of the grapes and make the wine less appealing. Instead of using pesticides, the California Pesticide Department encouraged the use of those humble barn owls, and it’s been active ever since.
A Barn Owl boy nestled up in a box eating rats, raptors and hamsters on a California vine. Soon this young man along with his 4 siblings will rule the night sky 🌌. #WildAg pic.twitter.com/0UfMF0oRQC
– Ryan Bourbour (@talonDNA) April 11, 2021
The study we discussed earlier began in 2015. 75 people living in California were surveyed and 4/5 reported that owl boxes, placed in the area to help control the population of rodents, doing well. It also helps that Johnson, one of the study’s leaders, is a bird lover and he knows how effective owls can be.
Johnson is currently working on several research projects to show how effective those owls are, how to navigate different landscapes, and how to choose the right boxes for them to nest. To do so, caged owl nesting boxes are being placed throughout the Napa Valley and the birds are being watched carefully.
This includes registration of up to 280 nesting boxes and photography. It seems like Owls and dislikes are special when it comes to where they live. They prefer boxes that are at least 3 meters tall and do not face the sun directly. Grasslands are their favorite place, although they will occasionally hang out in the woods.
How much can a family of owls eat? Research shows they eat up to 3,400 rodents annually.
In addition to the fact that they will be helping the owls in the process, they are also excited that the use of chemical pesticides will be greatly reduced. This will help the environment in various ways, and they hope that ongoing research will reduce the use of those pesticides.
