What you can do:
*Avoid using any type of rat poison, insecticide, and rodent repellents. Notify neighbors (NextDoor app is effective) that you have a barn owl house, ask that they avoid poison, and the owls should keep the rodent population under control. Poison will only endanger the owls and deplete the owls natural food source. Barn owls will eat around 1,200 rodents per owl a year. Barn owl populations fluctuate in direct correlation to rodent populations and are known to eat up to 4,000 a year
*Purchase your barn owl home from an established business with a proven model, like our Manor, model owl house, providing appropriate weather protection and enough interior space, as they can lay up to 18 eggs per clutch
*Installation placement and entrance direction are key factors. Consider predators, wind and sun direction, highways, usually pointed north or south dominant
*Avoid mowing your lawn as much as possible, as owls and prey prefer unkept, rough looking grass. If this is unfeasible, consider keeping a portion of your yard wild, or being in close proximity to grasslands and surrounding open territory (owl hunting territory extends 1-2 miles from their nesting site
*Plant wildflowers, native plants, and rye grass
*Owls eyes are sensitive to light. Consider dimming your bright lights, and or, placing lights on timers to turn off when you go to sleep
*Providing large bird baths, bird feeders, and surrounding bird houses encourage owl activity
*Encourage neighbors to get their own owl house, as this provides more shelter and protection options. While the female lays on the eggs, the male will drop food for her and the young, but he will seek shelter elsewhere, so multiple owl homes is beneficial. The owlets usually stay in the same territory they are born into, as well, and may even use the same nest
*If you already have owls in your tree, avoid getting any heavy tree work done, as this threatens their environment and discourages them from staying
*Broadcast short, but effective owl calls (20 seconds every night or so). This will invite curious neighboring owls to investigate. This is their mating call from the male to the female: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S9qfXCVLgU
*The best time for installation is now. Barn owls can nest up to 3 times a year. The sooner the house is available, the sooner the family can move in and use the space provided
*Do not disturb the owls. Instead, view them on one of our cameras, or use binoculars to observe them from about 50 feet or more, being cautious to make only slow movements, and not making any sounds. You can also listen for their calls from dusk til dawn. You will know when you have a family, and being too curious will only discourage them from choosing your nesting site