California vineyards used owl boxes to attract barn owls, reducing rodent numbers by up to 52%

Barn owls help vineyards control rodents naturally. Representational image. Barn owls can help vineyards reduce rodent damage in a natural way, by making rodents more cautious, and reducing their activity in vineyards, according to a new study from researchers in California.The study was focused on vineyards in Napa Valley, California, where rodents damage grapevines during the growing season. According to Science X, researchers found that vineyards with more barn owls had fewer rodents than those with very few or no owls. The findings suggest that having barn owls on vineyards could help farmers rely less on harmful pesticides for pest control.As temperatures rise in summer, vineyards provide ideal conditions for grape production. However, it also brings an increase in rodents that feed on and damage vines. Finding ways to control these pests has become an important goal for many growers.The research was carried out by Wildlife Professor Matt Johnson and graduate student Katherine Larson from Cal Poly Humboldt, along with Wildlife Professor Roger Baldwin from the University of California, Davis. Their findings have been published in the journal Ecological Applications.The owl rese...