272: 30 Gophers a Night: Why Barn Owls Belong in Your Vineyard

Meet your vineyard night-shift rodent patrol —barn owls. Bob Peak, a dedicated volunteer at Pacific Wildlife Care, shares how these incredible predators consume up to 30 gophers or voles a night. Learn fun facts about their short lifecycle, nesting habits, and how to properly install nest boxes (hint: ventilation and road direction matter!). Discover how you can encourage barn owls to thrive on your land—plus, hear how these owls even foster orphaned chicks.

Resources:        

• REGISTER: 6/6/25 Tailgate | Bird Abatement and Managing Wildlife in the Vineyard
• 58: Barn Owls
• 84: Falconry Bird Abatement
• 118: Managing Rodent Pests in Vineyards with Integrated Pest Management
• Build Your Own Owl Box
• Cornell Lab All About Birds
• National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association
• Pacific Wildlife Care
• The Barn Owl Box Company
• The Barn Owl Trust (UK)
• UC Davis Raptor Center

Vineyard Team Programs:

• Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate
• SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet  
• Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year
• Vineyard Team – Become a Member

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Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.  

Transcript

[00:00:04] Beth Vukmanic: Meet your vineyard, night shift Rodent patrol - barn owls. Welcome to Sustainable Wine Growing with Vineyard Team, where we bring you the latest in science and research for the wine industry. I'm Beth Vukmanic, executive director

[00:00:18] In today's podcast, Craig Macmillan critical resource manager at Niner Wine Estates with longtime SIP Certified Vineyard in the first ever SIP Certified winery. Speaks with Bob Peak, a dedicated volunteer at Pacific Wildlife Care.

[00:00:34] Bob shares how these incredible predators consume up to 30 gophers or voles a night. Learn fun facts about their short lifecycle nesting habitats, and how to properly install nest boxes, hint, ventilation, and road direction matter.

[00:00:50] Discover how you could encourage barn owls to thrive on your land plus. Here how these owls even foster orphaned chicks.

[00:00:58] If you love this topic and want to lear