Natural Rodent Control
Natural Rodent Control
Here are a few things you should know about Rodenticides (Rat Poison).
Once a rodent consumes poison, it can take them up to 5 days to die.
The poison causes them to be extremely dehydrated, so the rodents will go outside to search for water.
As they are in a slow-moving and weakened state, they become easy prey for any predator.
Even if the poisoned rodent doesn't make it outside, they can die in the walls or under the floor of your home, which can smell and be unsanitary.
Once a rodent consumes poison, it can take them up to 5 days to die.
The poison causes them to be extremely dehydrated, so the rodents will go outside to search for water.
As they are in a slow-moving and weakened state, they become easy prey for any predator.
Even if the poisoned rodent doesn't make it outside, they can die in the walls or under the floor of your home, which can smell and be unsanitary.
Pest control companies, have been known to give out misleading information about the safety of the products they use for rodent control. We recommend asking questions and researching products as many "safer" rodenticides are not actually safe.
Not only do rodenticides wreak havoc on our native predators, but they can also be a danger for pets and small children who can get into bait boxes.
We are fortunate to live in an area where much of our wildlife preys upon rodents as the main staple of their diet.
The use of rodenticides is counterproductive: as the poisoned rodents are consumed by predators it causes secondary poisoning in the predators and we lose natural pest control.
Many native predators are at risk for secondary poisoning from rodents, including owls, hawks, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, and more.
Can you imagine a world without our native California animals? Without these predators, rodent populations would explode out of control.
You might want to consider adding an Owl Nesting Box to your property as a natural enhancement to rodent control.
One of the most common reasons to add a Barn Owl nesting box to a property is for the benefit of controlling the rodent population.
A family of Barn Owls roosting in a single nesting box can consume 3,000- 5,000 rodents in a 4-month breeding cycle. This can cause a huge decrease in the number of rodents near a property.
Owls alone are not the solution to rodent control, but they are the last step as part of an integrated pest management approach that includes prevention, exclusion from your property, and trapping.
Rodent poisons should never be used and must be removed before inviting owls to nest at your property.
The first in a series of PDFs is available to download now and there will be more available in the coming months.
Download our helpful PDF guides here
(more coming soon)
7 Steps To Non-Toxic Rodent Control
Please reach out to All About Owls if you need any tips for non-toxic rodent control!
Insect Control
(All Natural!)
Insect Control
(All Natural!)
Insecticides can be just as dangerous to owls based on how much and how frequently they ingest them. Owlets are particularly at risk when their parents return to the nest with food for them.
If an owl frequents your property, and you use a number of insecticides to control your bug population, you could very well be putting them, and their owlets at risk.
Both the Western Screech-Owl, and the Burrowing Owl, consume large quantities of insects, including moths.
It is estimated that as much as half of their diet is made up of invertebrates.
They mostly catch the insects in flight but have been known to scoop up the occasional earth-bound pest!
Here are some natural insecticides that won't harm owls!
Burrowing owls often nest and roost in the burrows made by ground squirrels or prairie dogs, a strategy also used by rattlesnakes. When they are threatened, the owl retreats to their burrow and produces rattling and hissing sounds similar to those of a rattlesnake, scaring off their enemy.