Biological Controls For Moles And Gophers

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Biological Controls For Moles And Gophers

Biological pest control

Biological controls for pests are all the rage these days. You would think that it was something recently invented. It is not. It has always existed in nature.

These biological pest controls are known as predators. A word of caution is due here. If you live in suburbia, this might not be a good idea, as the predator in this case might not be able to distinguish between some household pets and the critters that you would like to get rid of. Your neighbors might not be to excited about losing fluffy the pet rabbit to your biological rodent control. Therefore, this method is suggested for rural property, and not for suburbs.

Barn Owls

In the world of rodent predators, there is hardly a more efficient hunter than the Barn Owl. The Barn Owl, or Tyto alba Is worldwide in it’s distribution, and goes by many common names. They can eat thousands of rodents in a year, and farmers have relied on them for this service almost since the dawn of time.

How to employ and deploy Barn Owls

How do you harness the power of such an incredible rodent control agent? You have to provide a habitat it likes. Barn owls like structures, hence the term “barn owl”. A nice roomy hallow in a tree, or a man made structure built just for them suits them well. Believe it or not, the side of a barn is an excellent spot to place a barn owl house. Some farmers once deliberately built them into barns to encourage them.

Owl house positioning is important.

They prefer areas at the edge of a clearing, and do not hunt in dense forests. Houses should be placed high enough that predators can’t easily get to them, and low enough that owlets have a reasonable chance of climbing back up if they accidentally fall out. They may starve to death otherwise. Boxes should be placed so that they do not face into prevailing winds.

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