Birds • Horses For Clean Water

Attracting Barn Owls for Pest Control on Horse Properties (PDF)

$3.99

Rodents are one of the toughest things to deal with on horse properties, but barn owls can help you reduce rodent populations without the use of traps or deadly chemicals. And the good news for horse owners is that attracting owls only requires the installation of a simple nest box. Follow the tips in this guide for putting barn owls to work on your horse property!

Get Nature’s Helpers on Board

Spring is in the air, which means it’s time to enlist some help from beneficial wildlife to stay pest free and chore efficient throughout the summer and fall.

Insect Control for Horse Properties (PDF)

$3.99

While there may be a time and place for insecticides, there are environmentally sensitive methods for managing insect populations that should be considered first. Use the alternative control methods in this tip sheet to reduce the amount of insecticides used around your property and thereby reduce your impact on the environment.

Kestrels Help Horse Owners with Pest Control

Encouraging insect- and rodent-eating birds to move into our yards and barn areas is an excellent low-tech, cost-effective, “green” method for pest control. If the pests you want to check off your list include mice and grasshoppers, you may want to consider hanging a nest box for an American Kestrel.

Natural Pest Control with The Birds of Sweet Pepper Ranch

Sweet Pepper Ranch has seen great success with using nest boxes to attract birds to help with insect and rodent control. From swallows to barn owls, we love watching them at work on our property!

Natural Solutions (Recording)

$27.00

Horse keeping can present a number of challenges, but nature often provides simple and low-cost solutions that don't require the use of toxic chemicals. In this ~75 minute class, you'll learn how to work with nature to manage rodents, eliminate weeds, reduce odors and dust, and address other common challenges horse owners face.

The Swallows are Coming: Attracting Birds for Insect Control on Horse Properties (PDF)

$3.99

Swallows, martins and swifts are some of the most common bird species observed on and around horse properties. As predators, they are attracted by the large insect populations found wherever there is livestock. In fact, they provide an important means of pest control for horse owners since 2 pairs of swallows consume about 12,000 insects a day, making them more effective than mechanical means such as traps and electric bug zappers, and a “green” alternative to insecticides and other aggressive techniques. Plus, swallows are beautiful and fun to watch as they perform their aerial acrobatics. This Tip Sheet will show you how to provide habitat that will attract swallows to your property for help with insect control.

Use Swallows (and Bluebirds!) for Insect Control

Horse owners don't have to just put up with flies and other harmful inseccts. Encouraging insect-eating birds to move into horse areas is an excellent low-tech, cost-effective, and eco-friendly method for pest control—one our grandparents probably utilized on their farms.