Cal Poly Humboldt Barn Owls

Barn owls are powerful agents of pest control on many agricultural landscapes–namely vineyards in California's Central Valley. They are natural enemies of several rodent species, making them well suited to target and reduce harmful rodent pests. Barn owls offer a low maintenance and ecologically friendly method of integrated pest management to many agricultural landscapes. Barn owls are also obligate secondary cavity nesters, meaning they have to nest in a cavity, but they can’t create one themselves. Historically, they relied on holes in large oak trees, and later they used nooks in old barns and church steeples. In Lodi today, most barn owls nest in human-made nest boxes. When farmers install nest boxes on their properties, it benefits both the barn owl community and the health of surrounding crops! Cal Poly Humboldt students are now actively monitoring over 160 nest boxes in Lodi and surrounding areas.