| Main centres: | 1-3 business days |
| Regional areas: | 3-4 business days |
| Remote areas: | 3-5 business days |
The JoJo Owl box is a roto-moulded seamless unit, ready for installation. Manufactured from low-density polyethylene, it is ultraviolet (UV) stabilized to ensure durability in the harsh South African weather and like all other JoJo Tanks products, it carries a 10 year warranty.
One of the biggest threats facing farmers is rodent infestations that cause crop losses equalling millions of Rands every year.
And its no better in our cities where both Cape Town and Johannesburg have already publicly declared a war on rats.
The ideal way to control rodent populations both on the farm and in the city is to install a barn owl house. The Barn Owl is one
of the most successful and widespread predators on earth and a single pair can consume over 2000 rodents a year. And that is
why JoJo Tanks is delighted to introduce its barn owl (nonnetjiesuil) house.
Explains Rod Cairns, Chairman of JoJo Tanks, Controlling rodents through the use of conventional methods, such as poisons,
are not only costly but also have a huge negative impact on the planet and our ecosystem. Poisons compromise the quality
of crops, local water supplies and the population of desirable domesticated and wild animals and birds. The JoJo owl house
offers both farmers and environmentally conscious urban dwellers a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to get rid of rats in
a way that does not harm the planet. And because barn owls are not as territorial as other raptors, you can install numerous
boxes throughout your property to effectively control your growing rodent population.
Barn Owls also regulate their own breeding, in keeping with the rat population of a specific year. If there is a surge in rodent
populations, they can breed up to 20 chicks, as there is so much food available. In years where the pickings are leaner, they lay
fewer eggs making them the perfect allies. Barn Owls breed mainly from August to September in the Western Cape and March
to May elsewhere.
The nifty doorstep in the entrance to the box ensures that the eggs and chicks remain safely inside. In built up areas, the owl
box should be erected against the south facing or southeast facing side of buildings, preferably under the overhang of the roof.
The JoJo owl box can be installed by:
Installation Guidelines
1) Erect perches around and in the fields to enable birds to catch rodents that venture into the crop fields.
2) It is advisable to have a cleared area of at least 2m wide around the field with perches erected within the area.
3) Perches for raptors should be made of 3m x 50mm gum or or poplar pokes and be planted to have a height of 2.4m above
the ground surface.
4) Perches for owls can be shorter - 1.6m x 30mm gum or poplar poles that are planted to height of 1.4m.
5) For both perches long sisal inflorescence stems may also be used to save on costs. Long and short poles should be planted
at the outskirts of the tilled zone at 50m intervals.
6) No cross arms should be erected on perches as previous experience indicates that the birds prefer straight poles. Untreated
wood is the best to use.
7) To attract owls and diurnal raptors to the perches,it is advisable to scatter a few handfuls of crushed grain around the
perches the late afternoon. Gerbils will soon discover the food and lure owls and raptors to the perches.
8) It is advisable to remove barbed wire from fences where perches are erected in close proximity to fences as owls are often
trapped by barbs when they try and perch on fences. This is particularly true for marsh owls, barn owls and spotted
eagle-owls.
9) Should crop field fences have smooth wire the fence post could be modified to suit as owl and raptor perches. No
rodenticides should be applied while raptor perches are up. Should rodenticides become necessary, the perches should be
taken down.
10) Rodent food supply. It may be worthwhile to put some grain out around the raptor perches outside the perimeter fence to
habituate rodents to the immediate areas around the perches.
