Uploaded January 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Avoid Rodenticides that Poison Owls & Other Raptors
Most residential and rural dwellers don’t enjoy rats, mice and ground squirrels setting up shop on their property, so they often resort to poisons to control the rodent populations. While those products succeed in getting the job done, they can also be deadly for birds that prey on rodents.
When a rodent eats a poison such as a second-generation rodenticide, it can still survive for several days before it succumbs. In its compromised state, the rodent becomes even more vulnerable to sharp-eyed raptors like barn owls. The owl eats the poisoned rodent and in short order becomes poisoned itself, leading to debilitating illness or death. Hibbert Lumber in Davis, CA, who donated the wood used in this video, was honored in 2015 after they removed second-generation rodenticides from their store shelves completely.
An owl box is a great alternative to poisons because it draws barn owls into your neighborhood and puts them in charge of your pest control. Not only are you not harming raptors; you’re actively supplying them food!
The box is divided into two chambers so that babies can be nurtured on one side without risk of falling out of the tree. The other side has an entry/exit hole for the grown owl. There’s a hatch on the babies’ side so that the box can be cleaned out during the season when owls are least likely to be there — usually around October and November in Northern California, where the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s California Raptor Center is located.
Build your own owl box!
TOOLS
Hammer
Nails
2 C-clamps
Contractor square
Pencil
Tape measure
Table saw (preferred) or skill saw
Jigsaw
Drill
WOOD DIMENSIONS
Start with a 4’ x 8’ sheet of ¾” plywood and cut it to the following:
top: 26 x 21
bottom: 24 x 19
front: 24 x 20
back: 24 x 17
sides: 17 x 17 & 20 (3-inch pitch)
interior divider: 17” x 17” & 5” (Most of the interior divider spans from top to bottom, but about ¼ of it drops to 5” high so that babies can’t cross from one side to the other, but a grown owl can.
You’ll also need a small hinge with screws and a small door latch or hook.
Filmed and edited by Justin Cox, UC Davis One Health Institute
Music by Podington Bear: podingtonbear.com
Avoid Rodenticides that Poison Owls & Other Raptors
Most residential and rural dwellers don’t enjoy rats, mice and ground squirrels setting up shop on their property, so they often resort to poisons to control the rodent populations. While those products succeed in getting the job done, they can also be deadly for birds that prey on rodents.
When a rodent eats a poison such as a second-generation rodenticide, it can still survive for several days before it succumbs. In its compromised state, the rodent becomes even more vulnerable to sharp-eyed raptors like barn owls. The owl eats the poisoned rodent and in short order becomes poisoned itself, leading to debilitating illness or death. Hibbert Lumber in Davis, CA, who donated the wood used in this video, was honored in 2015 after they removed second-generation rodenticides from their store shelves completely.
An owl box is a great alternative to poisons because it draws barn owls into your neighborhood and puts them in charge of your pest control. Not only are you not harming raptors; you’re actively supplying them food!
The box is divided into two chambers so that babies can be nurtured on one side without risk of falling out of the tree. The other side has an entry/exit hole for the grown owl. There’s a hatch on the babies’ side so that the box can be cleaned out during the season when owls are least likely to be there — usually around October and November in Northern California, where the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s California Raptor Center is located.
Build your own owl box!
TOOLS
Hammer
Nails
2 C-clamps
Contractor square
Pencil
Tape measure
Table saw (preferred) or skill saw
Jigsaw
Drill
WOOD DIMENSIONS
Start with a 4’ x 8’ sheet of ¾” plywood and cut it to the following:
top: 26 x 21
bottom: 24 x 19
front: 24 x 20
back: 24 x 17
sides: 17 x 17 & 20 (3-inch pitch)
interior divider: 17” x 17” & 5” (Most of the interior divider spans from top to bottom, but about ¼ of it drops to 5” high so that babies can’t cross from one side to the other, but a grown owl can.
You’ll also need a small hinge with screws and a small door latch or hook.
Filmed and edited by Justin Cox, UC Davis One Health Institute
Music by Podington Bear: podingtonbear.com
