FAST FACTS
Bat and owl boxes can be constructed at minimal cost.
Bats and owls can make a big dent in pest populations on farms.
They offer a cost-effective alternative to pesticides.
Owls and bats are specialised hunters. Research has consistently shown that they can make a big impact on reducing pest numbers on farms.
A pair of barn owls and their chicks feed on 2 000 to 6 000 rodents a year, according to research conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture in Israel.
Israel initiated a project to monitor the efficacy of barn owls for rodent control in crops in 1983 already, and following the success, increased owl boxes across the country to nearly 4
