Do you have voles invading your fields or pasture? Do you not have enough barn cats to control the rodent population? Voles can wreak havoc on crops, lawns and pastures. They do this by feeding on roots, grass, seeds, tubers and bulbs while eating nearly their bodyweight in food each day. Voles can also reproduce up to six times annually, making their populations grow rapidly.

Crawford vargovich madison
Freelance Writer
Madison Crawford Vargovich is a freelance writer based in Idaho.

Voles are unarguably damaging to agricultural land and can cause drastic losses for farmers and ranchers. However, there may be a solution to this huge problem. Throughout Idaho, farmers and ranchers have noticed the rise in the vole population and are trying a more natural approach to rodent control rather than rodenticide.

Due to being so elusive to catch, only skilled predators such as owls are able to hunt voles efficiently year-round. Owl boxes, which are small, usually wooden, boxes built to accommodate owl nesting, have been utilized on agricultural land to help with the reduction of voles and the damage they cause. Studies by the University of Idaho (U of I) show that an average barn owl family (two adults and five owlets) nesting near agricultural land can consume over 2,000 voles within three months. Barn owlets alone can eat about three voles a day until they leave the nest.

Several producers in Idaho have begun utilizing owl boxes on their agricultural properties to see if providing owls with nests will help with the overabundance of voles. Bill Bitzenburg, a grower in the Filer area, purchased an owl box from the Gooding Soil Conservation District and has been impressed by the number of rodents the owls have hunted. Bitzenburg shares that the owl box has been occupied for the past two summers, not only by barn owls but by great horned owls as well. He shared pictures of the annual cleaning of the owl box this fall, which showed a pile of owl pellets – the undigestible parts of the rodents the owls hunt. The presence of owl pellets in the owl boxes proves the owls are doing their job in working to control the rodent population.

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Bill Bitzenburg has had success with owls nesting in his boxes, as shown by the pile of owl pellets – the undigestible parts of the rodents the owls hunt. Image provided by Bill Bitzenburg.

 

Barbara Messick, the Gooding and Wood River Soil Conservation District administrative assistant, says multiple producers have purchased owl boxes from Gooding Soil District to give them a try on their properties. One of those producers is a supervisor on the Gooding Soil Conservation District board, Joe Pavkov. Pavkov purchased five owl boxes about three years ago and installed them in the desert surrounding his property, in more secluded areas, hoping less traffic would entice the owls. Pavkov has seen multiple owls in his haystacks but has yet to have them take up residence in any of the owl boxes. He explains that voles are abundant near each of the owl boxes, so he is unsure why the owls haven’t nested in them yet. Pavkov also mentions that a producer in the neighboring county has some success with their owl box, with one nesting earlier this year, which gives him hope that it will work.

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Another producer who has recently installed owl boxes is Bill Lickley. Lickley, a farmer and rancher in the Jerome area, grows grain, corn and alfalfa, along with irrigated pasture. He bought two owl boxes and installed one box to see if anything would come of it. He says that one owl nested in the owl box on his property; however, later in the year, the wind knocked the box down. Lickley plans to reinstall the fallen box, along with the other one to hopefully see a reduction in the amount of voles on his property. When asked if he would recommend owl boxes to other producers, he says, “Yes, I think it’s a good idea, and I don’t think there’s a much better idea out there right now.” Lickley looks forward to giving owl boxes another try.

A U of I Extension article, “Utilizing Barn Owl Boxes for Management of Vole Populations,” shares measurements and explains how to build an owl box that the owls will be comfortable and safe in. When installing the owl box, it is best to mount them about 8 to 10 feet above ground. This ensures that the owl is out of reach of people and reduces the likelihood of predators entering. Installing the owl box in a quiet, less-populated area is the best. Human interference may result in box abandonment.

When properly maintained annually, owl boxes do have the ability to aid in rodent control in agricultural areas, resulting in fewer damaged crops, pastures and lawns. For producers interested in giving owl boxes a try on your property, they can be purchased online, locally – such as from conservation districts – or they can be handmade. It’s important to remember that the entrance hole should only be big enough for the owls to enter to reduce predator entrance. Producers can start by learning more by visiting the Gooding Soil and Water Conservation District website or contacting them at (208) 944-3655.

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Bill Bitzenburg cleans out one of his owl boxes last fall. Image provided by Bill Bitzenburg.