Marin County - SF Bay Area
A troublesome rat infestation near the Marin Civic Center may be thwarted by forces from above — county agencies and local nonprofit groups installed a series of owl boxes last weekend.“Rats have become an increasing problem at the Civic Center,” Hulme wrote in a press statement. “We are not using poisons on county property to control rats, and trapping alone has not fully addressed the problem. Owls are an important part of the environmental web when it comes to managing rodents and sustaining a healthy, toxic-free environment.”
Often, other raptors such as hawks help get rid of rats and field mice, but they tend to steer clear of areas populated by people. Owls, on the other hand, are less concerned with their human neighbors.
Volunteers from WildCare’s Hungry Owl Project, working alongside Marin County Parks, gathered on Sept. 3 to put the boxes in place in various spots near the county’s headquarters. The project is part of the county’s Integrated Pest Management Program.
Mel & Syd make the KTVU news
The Hungry Owl Project has stated its opposition to the use of chemicals in eradicating rodents.
Started in 2001, the Hungry Owl Project is a program of WildCare, a Marin nonprofit education and wildlife rehabilitation center.
Read the full article:
http://www.marinscope.com/articles/2011/09/21/news_pointer/news/doc4e7a469f6ce0b305126604.txt