This is only my experience here in central Illinois so with a grain of salt...please :-)

First I don't think owls will control the moles...maybe the voles if they stick their heads out of the mole runs long enough.

Our trouble here is the dreaded chipmunk. We live VERY close to a wooded ravine but it's only been in the last 2 years that we've had a pair of owls nest in a dead tree close to our property.

While they nested and before the young owls fully fledged we saw no chipmunks. In late May or early June, when the young fledge, the adults take them deep into the woods. The chipmunks then come out into the open like crazy and make up for all the hiding they've been doing.

Rabbit fence keeps the rabbits out of my garden and the squirrels have never seemed to bother it.

I don't know if any of this helps you but it's what goes on here...Oh! and when my tomatoes get ripe, later in the season something...possum or raccoon (not exactly sure) comes in at night and eats the ripe ones.

Val

Nesting season is long over for owls, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try. If you're going to do, I'd suggesting putting up other nest boxes for other hawks/owls too......American Kestrals and Screech Owls both nest in boxes. You may have to make your own, but they're pretty easy to make.

I have no idea how any of those species take to nest boxes though. Also you have to be in the right habitat for those species. (a perfect bluebird box in the middle of the forrest will never attract a bluebird, because bluebirds are not woodland birds, for instance)

I've often wondered if those big plastic owls work? A little pricey but might be worth it if they do.

Val

Plastic owls are pretty ineffective.

Thanks ltilton...I've always wondered if they work or not. Good to know so I won't invest in one :-)

Val

We had a stuffed owl and a plastic owl. Whenever we put them outside all the birds would go crazy warning the other birds of danger. What a racket they made!

We live near a lagoon with a lot of birds, many migrating, also see hawks - think it's red shoulder, that sometimes land on telephone poles, but have never seen any owls. We live near the beach. A few years ago, I worked at an in-land hospital on the 3rd floor. It had recessed windows on the upper floors. A pair of barn owls raised 2 fledglings on the window sill. It was amazing that the little tykes didn't fall off the ledge, especially since the parents were gone frequently hunting for food.

I was surprised to see them in such an environment - in the middle of a bustling city - and especially the place they chose to lay their clutch.

Still trying to decide the best approach to keeping the damage down from the mole/vole diggers. I want to create a water-conserving front yard anyway, so the lawn isn't being watered - so perhaps that in itself may be a deterrant, however, in the back yard, my main concern is for my newly planted dwarf apple trees - they are doing so great, would hate to lose them now.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Bejay