California vineyards are resorting to an unlikely pest-control partner as rodents have threatened grapevines during the summer growing season. New research from Cal Poly Humboldt and the University of California, Davis, suggests that barn owls could help vineyards reduce rodent populations naturally.
A study conducted in six Napa Valley vineyards found that areas with higher barn owl activity had 38% to 52% fewer rodents than vineyards with little or no owl activity. Researchers also discovered that rodents became significantly more cautious when the predators were nearby, potentially reducing the amount of time they spent feeding around grapevines. The findings could offer California wine growers another way to manage pests while reducing their dependence on chemical pesticides.
