Where do I put the nest boxes?
Put the boxes up wherever it is convenient for you. They can go in trees, on posts out in the field, on the wall of a building. Each site has positive and negative points. In trees, the owls will receive some protection from the elements, but the young will be exposed to predators. On a post, the young will be protected from most predators, but the box may get hot during a heat wave. On a building, whatever is below the box will probably get splattered with fecal matter.

Where should I not put the nest boxes?
Don't put nest boxes above locations where vehicles or equipment is parked.

Outside your bedroom window is not a good idea either, because the young owls can compete very noisily each time the adults return to the nest with food.

Owls prefer not to hunt in the area of their nest box so as not to attract the attention of potential predators. Multiple nest boxes in this vicinity will solve this problem because the hunting areas of the different nesting pairs will overlap.

Will routine farm operations bother the owls?
No, regular farm activity will not bother the owls as long as the box or the post is not bumped. In most cases they will remain quietly inside the nest box.

How many nest boxes do I need?
One box will achieve the "warm fuzzy" thing but will not control your rodents. Your goal should be to attract as many nesting pairs of barn owls as your rodent population can support.

Remember that it is nesting pairs that you want to attract. Each adult will eat one rodent a night, but each chick will eat up to four or five, depending on the size of the chick and the size of the rodent.

Six boxes across fifty acres is a good start. Figure you have enough nest boxes when 20 to 30% are not being used at any time during the year.

If I put up several nest boxes in the same field, will the owls' territorial instincts cause conflicts?
Barn owls are not considered to be very territorial. The number of owls you attract is a product of the number of rodents in your field and the number of nest sites they can find in your area. This means that you can erect as many nest boxes as you have space for. And the more nesting pairs of owls you attract, the more rodents you will get rid of.

Do I need to do anything special once I attract the barn owls?
In general, leave the nest boxes alone.

Can I peek in my boxes to check on the owls?
It is always best to leave the owls in your nest boxes alone. This is especially true while the hen is sitting on the eggs, during January February or March. Scaring her away at this time may result in her refusal to return. When the chicks have hatched, you can safely peek in to see how many you have without worrying whether the parents will return.

Should I continue baiting the rodents after the owls have moved in?
Use Racumin.

What do I do when I find a young owl on the ground?
The chances are that the youngster's parents know where it is and they are probably taking care of it, so unless the owl is injured or in danger, just leave it alone.

If the owl appears to be hurt or is potentially threatened, take it to your nearest raptor rehabilitation center.

How do I capture a grounded barn owl?
To capture the barn owl, you will need a sheet, a pair of heavy gloves and a paper grocery bag.

Start by throwing the sheet over the owl. Wearing the gloves, grab the owl by both legs just above the feet while the bird is still covered with the sheet. Remove the sheet and turn the owl upside down. Put it into a paper grocery bag and fold the top of the bag over to keep the bird inside.