Over the holidays, Andy and I spent some time at my parents’ house back in Ohio. They live in a suburb that backs up to a nature preserve, so there’s a good bit of wildlife around. And that wildlife is vocal, as our dog Azula discovered one morning when I let her out before the sun came up.
An owl made itself known, hooting from somewhere off in the woods. Azula, formerly a city dog, was amazed and alarmed. She’d never heard an owl before, because we don’t seem to have any around our property. This reminded Andy to do a bit of research on something he’d be curious about–the benefits of having owls around when you own a farm.
How Owls Can Be Beneficial to Farmers & Gardeners
Aside from the fact that Andy and I are bird enthusiasts, having an owl around is actually pretty helpful if you’re trying to grow produce.
Owls help keep pests at bay since they’ll hunt small rodents that can otherwise become a nuisance. Having an owl, then, can help cut down on the loss of crops due to small creatures nibbling away at them.
How To Attract Owls to Your Property
If you want more owls around, like we do, there are a few things you can do to try and entice one to take up residence.
1. Install An Owl Box
Owl boxes are structures you can affix to your home or adjacent buildings. These little boxes make great nesting spaces for owls and can make them want to visit your property time and time again. You can purchase or build one fairly easily.
2. Avoid Pruning Long Branches & Overtrimming the Lawn
Owls need a good place to perch, so letting your trees retain longer branches that aren’t a threat to your home can help attract them to your yard. Similarly, keeping your grass a bit longer will give them a better hunting ground than a finely manicured lawn.
3. Keep Outdoor Lighting to a Minimum At Night
If you have massive flood lights on your property, owls aren’t likely to want to hang around. Put outdoor lights on timers or turn them out before bed if you can to provide nearby owls a better environment for their nocturnal wanderings.
Good Dirt Farm already lets the grass grow pretty freely, and we plan to implement a few of these other tips in the coming year. With luck, we’ll be able to bring a feathered friend to stay here. Perhaps soon we’ll add to our list of birds of prey that we love, as there’s at least one red-tailed hawk that seems to call our farm home already.