Barn owls getting used as pure method to rid farms of rodents

BELLE GLADE, Florida – Dr. Richard Raid is a plant pathologist. He works at the University of Florida Everglades Research and Education Center at Belle Glade.

He makes his rounds on the property. But he doesn’t check the plants. Instead, he climbs a ladder to check on dozens of boxes.

A barn owl mother and her young are in a box in a dark corner.

“That face-shell that we call the face-shell that surrounds her eyes is like an antenna, and funnels sound in her ears, which are just behind her eyes, and in fact her ears are just offset a little – one is higher than the other – that’s how they actually hear in 3D, “Raid told WPTV.

WPTV

Dr. Richard Raid began researching barn owls and discovered that they could help control rodent numbers on a farm.

This 3D ability helps barn owls find their food.

“Each of these chicks could eat three to four rats a night,” said Raid.

The rodents are a problem for farmers.

“Sugar cane and some of our sweetcorn, and that’s how they feed on those crops,” said Raid.

Years ago, Raid began researching barn owls and discovered that they could help control the number of rodents on a farm. His project prevailed.

“I went back and looked at some economic data on the amount of rat damage when some studies were being done and it is estimated that more than $ 30 million can be attributed to rats with sugar cane annually,” explained Raid.

Here on the University of Florida research lot, there are 648 acres and about 42 of those boxes on the lot with over 100 barn owls.

Farmers now have similar boxes on their farmland, boxes that, when placed several feet high, attract barn owls to life.

WPTV

Dr. Richard Raid works at the University of Florida Everglades Research and Education Center at Belle Glade. He checks into one of the 42 or so barn owl boxes on the property.

Rep. Rick Roth, R-West Palm Beach, said his family’s farm has existed for more than half a century.

“They do some damage every year,” said Roth. “We’re trying to control it and we’re glad Dr. Richard Raid found a better way to do it.”

Instead of using toxic chemicals to get rid of the rodents, the barn owls are good for the environment.

“The bottom line is we’re trying to find ways to do things naturally,” said Roth.

Raid has hope for the future.

“I think more and more growers will join the program because they really saw the benefits,” he said.

If anyone has any questions about barn owls, contact Raid at mraid@ufl.edu.

“Barn owl populations have declined in many parts of the US, largely due to the loss of sustainable breeding habitat such as barns and Ag structures,” he added. “They derived their name ‘barn owls’ from their tendency to nest in barns. What we call ‘cavity nests’, they have a natural curiosity to examine dark cavities as nesting sites. Old barns often offered dark, undisturbed corners.”