Could Barn Owls Help Control Orchard Rats?
California almond and pistachio growers dealing with rat problems have an opportunity to contribute to research that could help shape future pest management recommendations.
The California Association of Pest Control Advisers, or CAPCA, is helping identify orchard sites for a new research project studying whether barn owl nest boxes can play a larger role in controlling rodent populations. Researchers are looking for 40-acre orchard blocks where rats are present but little to no active rodent management is currently taking place.
Selected sites will be assigned to one of three groups: no treatment, barn owl nest boxes alone, or owl boxes paired with rat traps. Researchers will then compare how each approach performs over the course of the study.
The project is focused on almond and pistachio orchards that do not already have owl boxes installed on or immediately adjacent to the research block.
Growers interested in participating can complete a site survey now. The project is expected to begin with on-the-ground work later this month.
Apply Here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JvPZd8zZGkCzivtLVRjlZW-fmEA7WNpOkvj9KbIJWfZUM0hDQU80N1YxRVNSOVBLU0tKWlRBVEgwNS4u
