Fiberglass barn owl nest boxes gained acceptance in the oil palms field

Son E.W., . and Samsudin Ahmad, . Fiberglass barn owl nest boxes gained acceptance in the oil palms field. pp. 18-21. ISSN 0127-9564

Biological control agents are important components of Intergrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. The barn owl Tyto alba is a known predator of rats and has been widelyused round the world for rat control. To control prey population effectively predator numbers need to be adequate. Artificalnestings sites in the form of nest boxes are put to encourage breeding and as shelter for the birds. The traditional barn owl nest box is made of wood and plywood. These materials are not durable and require periodic maintenance. A new material used in making nest boxes is fiberglass. Fiberglass nest boxes are more lasting and cost less in the long run. Field testing was conducted to investigate owl acceptance to fiberglass nest boxes and their effectiveness. 76 fibreglass nest boxes were put up in FBSB Lepar Utara 11 fields at a density of 1 box for every 20 hectares of planting. Census of barn owl population and rat damage levels on fruit bunches were carried out 4 times a year after installation of the boxes. Results showed good acceptance of the new nests by the owls and a low levelof rat damage during this period.

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Abstract

Biological control agents are important components of Intergrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. The barn owl Tyto alba is a known predator of rats and has been widelyused round the world for rat control. To control prey population effectively predator numbers need to be adequate. Artificalnestings sites in the form of nest boxes are put to encourage breeding and as shelter for the birds. The traditional barn owl nest box is made of wood and plywood. These materials are not durable and require periodic maintenance. A new material used in making nest boxes is fiberglass. Fiberglass nest boxes are more lasting and cost less in the long run. Field testing was conducted to investigate owl acceptance to fiberglass nest boxes and their effectiveness. 76 fibreglass nest boxes were put up in FBSB Lepar Utara 11 fields at a density of 1 box for every 20 hectares of planting. Census of barn owl population and rat damage levels on fruit bunches were carried out 4 times a year after installation of the boxes. Results showed good acceptance of the new nests by the owls and a low levelof rat damage during this period.

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Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Summary (En)
AGROVOC Term:	OIL PALMS
AGROVOC Term:	ELAEIS GUINEENSIS
AGROVOC Term:	PLANTATIONS
AGROVOC Term:	PEST CONTROL
AGROVOC Term:	PREDATORY BIRDS
AGROVOC Term:	OWLS
AGROVOC Term:	INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
AGROVOC Term:	BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
AGROVOC Term:	INTEGRATED CONTROL
AGROVOC Term:	NEST BOXES
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:52
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/17920

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