Many people are interested in utilizing natural strategies to control rodents on their property, to prevent mice and rat infestations of their homes, businesses, barns, and other structures. There are a number of natural strategies that can be utilized to effectively control rodents on your property. One of the effective means of addressing rodents on your property is by attracting barn owls to the premises. Through this article, you are provided some basic information about barn owls and rodent control.
What Is a Barn Owl?
The barn owl is the most widely distributed type of owl in the world today. It is found nearly everywhere in the world except in desert and polar regions. Indeed, the barn owl is the most widely distributed of nearly any type bird in existence today.
The barn owl is nocturnal nearly everywhere in the world, including the United States. As a consequence, the barn owl hunts at night. Only in Great Britain and on some Pacific islands does the barn owl hunt during the day.
The barn owl mates for life. The only situation in which the bird will seek a new partner is if there is a death. Typically, a barn owl clutch consists of four eggs. Barn owls can breed at different times of the year, depending on local climate considerations.
Barn owls subsist on small mammals, particularly rodents like mice or rats. Both males and females hunt for prey except when eggs are laid and young birds are being tended. At these times, the male barn own seeks food for the entire family. Because of their efficiency at hunting rodents, farmers and even residential homeowners attempt to attract these birds to their properties.
Install Barn Owl Boxes on Your Property
If barn owls are found in your area, you need to make your property more attractive to them. One step that you need to consider taking is the installation of barn owl boxes on your property.
If you desire to install barn owl boxes at your premises, you need to take care not to overdo. The reality is that a particular space can only successfully maintain a certain number of barn owls. The best way to ascertain the appropriate placement of barn own boxes is your area is to consult with your local county extension office.
When placing barn owl boxes, you need to bear in mind that outside of breeding season, a pair of barn owls typically prefer to nest alone. Thus, if you want to attract even a pair of barn owls to your property, you will require more than one barn owl box. You also need to keep in mind that an individual barn owl in a pair will prefer nesting in more than one box.
With these points in mind, a solid strategy is to place several barn owl boxes fairly close to one another on your property. This will heighten the prospect of attracting a pair of barn owls to your property. If you have a typical residential property, this a pair is likely to be precisely the number of barn owls you require to aid in controlling rodents on the premises.
Barn Owls and Small Pets
A pet owner that desires to attract barn owls to the property needs to be alert if smaller pets are owned. If a cat or dog (kitten or puppy) is five pounds or less, care need to be taken to letting them roam about unattended from the early evening until the morning. The possibility does exist that a barn own may attempt to snatch a smaller feline or canine (again, a kitten or puppy).
If a cat or dog is a larger size, the prospect of getting into a tussle with a barn owl also exists. This is particularly the case when less experienced younger barn owls are “learning the ropes,” which in the United States is usually in May and June. With this said, if you have outdoor cats, they face greater risks from other predators than they do from barn owls.
Professional Rodent Eradication and Rodent Droppings Cleanup
If you have a rodent infestation in your home or business, you’re beyond the point at which barn owls can be of assistance. Yes, they can prevent further infestation from rodents invading from the outside, but you need to take another course to eradicate mice and rats that have taken up nesting inside your home or business. An advisable course is to retain the services of a professional exterminator or eradicator.
In the aftermath of the eradication of a rodent infestation, you should also consider seriously hiring an experienced, trusted rodent droppings cleanup company. The fact is that rodent droppings (and associated waste like mouse or rat nests) can carry germs capable of causing serious (and even fatal) diseases. Thus, you best ensure the health and welfare of you and others by hiring a reputable rodent droppings cleaning company that provides comprehensive cleanup and biohazard remediation services.