Barn Owls Provide Natural Pest Control for Producers

Experts says one barn owl family can eat an estimated 1,600 to 4,000 rodents each year.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (RFD News) — Barn owls are becoming part of pest management programs on some farms, offering producers a natural way to help control rodent populations.

Ornithologist Jennifer Ackerman said a nesting pair of barn owls can make a significant impact on rodent populations.

“A nesting barn owl pair can actually have two clutches of owls, each with around six owlets. One study estimated that a barn owl family will eat 1,600 to 4,000 rodents a year. So that makes barn owls really excellent candidates to be a part of a farm’s pest management program.”

Ackerman said making a home for barn owls can be easy, adding that nesting boxes are best placed along the perimeter of a property.

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Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


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