It's tick season and many of us are nervously tiptoeing in the garden to avoid a nasty surprise. One of the best ways to actually get rid of them is by encouraging owls. They prey on rodents, i.e. tick hosts, which can reduce tick populations in the yard.
So, what's the best way to attract owls to your yard? One of the best ways to do it is by installing an owl nest box. Take this Amazon owl nest box, for example. It provides a manmade nesting space for owls, resembling the natural tree cavities that are becoming harder for these birds to locate.
I like the fact the entry is just the right size for owls while keeping predators out. With reviews that note it's a 'beautifully made box well worth the money,' I feel confident in its quality. Plus, it's reduced to $23.99, so now is the time to get your hands on it to make tick season less of a worry in your yard.
This owl nest box is constructed of premium carbonized cedar wood for long-lasting use. It's ideal for small and medium owls, and prevents larger predators gaining entry. It also has a door for easy access to clean, and comes with all the hardware to assemble and install.
How Do Owls Help with Ticks?
Owls play a huge role in natural pest control for preventing ticks in the yard and getting rid of rats in the yard.
This is because ticks often spend part of their lifecycle feeding on rodents, which are reservoirs for the diseases ticks spread, such as Lyme disease.
Owls prey on rodents, reducing their presence. With fewer hosts for ticks, their population and disease transmission reduces.
Encouraging owls to your yard can therefore help with tick population control indirectly, though it's best to pair this approach with other methods. For example, it's effective to keep your grass mowed as ticks like to hide in long grassy areas. You can also opt for products like this plant-based tick spray on Amazon.
Now is an ideal time to install an owl nest box to your yard, as these birds nest until mid-summer – and the Amazon owl nest box is a great one to consider.
Why Shoppers Love This Nest Box
Installing an owl nest box in your yard is one of the easiest ways to encourage these beautiful birds to your yard. They seek cavities to nest in but natural ones in trees and barns can be hard to come by.
The Amazon owl nest box seems to be a popular choice among shoppers because it's designed for optimal use by these birds.
It's built for small to medium-sized owls measuring around 9–11 inches, which is the average size of the owls most commonly frequenting US yards. It also has a slanted roof and ventilation holes to provide airflow and keep rain out, offering a safe and dry spot to nest and raise their young.
Some shoppers note it's been a useful addition for other garden wildlife, too: 'The squirrels love it,' one reviewer writes.
When it comes to assembly, the majority of buyers are happy with the ease and quality:
'The wood panels are all edge-glued smaller planks. It looks well done, no voids or knots. The boards are 15mm thick,' one person describes.
'Easy to assemble and mount on tree,' another person shares. The kit comes with all the hardware needed to put it together and attach securely to a tree.
However, some shoppers note there are some discrepancies with the drill holes: 'The pre-drilled holes on the bottom piece of wood are incorrectly drilled,' one shopper says.
Nevertheless, the overall consensus is that it's solid, good quality, and it's simple enough to rectify the drill hole issue by drilling new holes, though this is a slight inconvenience.
Beyond its function, this Amazon owl nest box has a beautiful, rustic look. I'm particularly taken with the decorative owl head shape, adding charm to a quiet corner of the yard.
For $23.99 on the current deal, I think this owl nest box is more than worth it, especially considering others on the market are priced much higher (like this $59.95 owl nest box from Walmart). It will last for many years, help local wildlife, and secondarily keep my yard pest-free.
What to Shop
This wooden owl house measures 11x5x6", ideal for small owls. It's easy to open up and clean, and includes the hardware for installation.
These tubes are filled with cotton treated with permethrin insecticide which mice use to line their nests, secondarily killing the ticks that feed on them.
These cedar granules repel a wide range of insects, including ticks, with their strong scent. It's organic and chemical-free, sourced from cedar trees.
Nest boxes are just one way to help owls in your yard. Our guide to helping garden birds in winter has lots of ideas relevant to these elegant birds, including providing safe shelter and encouraging natural prey.
And if you're keen to keep ticks away, make sure to combine different methods. There could be several things in your yard that attract ticks you can change. Likewise, you can read up on why there might be ticks in your yard, so you can make some adjustments.
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