Zahoor-Salmi
Owls as a Means of Non-Toxic Pest Control
Barn Owls, on the other hand, can be a wonderful help. They are gorgeous creatures with voracious appetites. Installing Barn Owl boxes can be a very cost effective and eco-friendly way to help with a rodent problem. A single Barn Owl family can consume rodent delivery3,000 rodents in a single 4 month breeding cycle. In many areas Barn Owls have multiple clutches a year, raising the total for possible consumed rodents to 6,000 - 9,000 a year! This is in addition to the simple joy of having such amazing creatures as a neighbors!
Barn Owl box rodent control programs work best for larger properties, such as farms, ranches, vineyards & homeowners associations. That's not to say that it's impossible for Barn Owls to help smaller properties, but Barn Owls usually do not hunt directly around their own boxes. More commonly, we've observed them starting to hunt 100'-300' away from their own nests. However, if you have multiple occupied boxes, the owls from one box will readily hunt around other owls' boxes. Thus giving you complete coverage. Barn Owls alone will not completely eliminate all rodents. For the best results, the Hungry Owl Project recommends an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach.
Barn Owls are non-territorial, which unlike many other owls, means that you can install multiple boxes relatively close together. For smaller properties (2 acres and less), we usually recommend starting with around 1 - 3 boxes. For medium properties (3 - 10 acres) we recommend starting with around 2 - 6 boxes. For larger properties we suggest starting with 5 boxes for every 10 acres. However, these are somewhat loose guidelines and every situation is unique. As a general rule of thumb, we always recommend that when your occupancy rate reaches 80%, add more boxes. Boxes can be occupied quite quickly, we've had owls move in in as little as a few days after installing boxes, but there have also been situations where it takes years for boxes to become occupied. A safe and successful installation is the best way to ensure that you're giving your boxes the best chance for occupancy, please view the "Where to Install" items in the menu on the left for more details. If you'd like the us to come to your location to help you find installation locations that will be both safe for the owls and give you the best chances for occupancy and rodent control, consider having a HOP site consultation.
Owls as a Means of Non-Toxic Pest Control
Barn Owls, on the other hand, can be a wonderful help. They are gorgeous creatures with voracious appetites. Installing Barn Owl boxes can be a very cost effective and eco-friendly way to help with a rodent problem. A single Barn Owl family can consume rodent delivery3,000 rodents in a single 4 month breeding cycle. In many areas Barn Owls have multiple clutches a year, raising the total for possible consumed rodents to 6,000 - 9,000 a year! This is in addition to the simple joy of having such amazing creatures as a neighbors!
Barn Owl box rodent control programs work best for larger properties, such as farms, ranches, vineyards & homeowners associations. That's not to say that it's impossible for Barn Owls to help smaller properties, but Barn Owls usually do not hunt directly around their own boxes. More commonly, we've observed them starting to hunt 100'-300' away from their own nests. However, if you have multiple occupied boxes, the owls from one box will readily hunt around other owls' boxes. Thus giving you complete coverage. Barn Owls alone will not completely eliminate all rodents. For the best results, the Hungry Owl Project recommends an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach.
Barn Owls are non-territorial, which unlike many other owls, means that you can install multiple boxes relatively close together. For smaller properties (2 acres and less), we usually recommend starting with around 1 - 3 boxes. For medium properties (3 - 10 acres) we recommend starting with around 2 - 6 boxes. For larger properties we suggest starting with 5 boxes for every 10 acres. However, these are somewhat loose guidelines and every situation is unique. As a general rule of thumb, we always recommend that when your occupancy rate reaches 80%, add more boxes. Boxes can be occupied quite quickly, we've had owls move in in as little as a few days after installing boxes, but there have also been situations where it takes years for boxes to become occupied. A safe and successful installation is the best way to ensure that you're giving your boxes the best chance for occupancy, please view the "Where to Install" items in the menu on the left for more details. If you'd like the us to come to your location to help you find installation locations that will be both safe for the owls and give you the best chances for occupancy and rodent control, consider having a HOP site consultation.