ULOG: 14 "Owls Become the Skill as Purworejo Farmers Get Rid of Mouse Pests"

Img source : toonpool.com

The invasion of rat pests made farmers' crops in Purworejo, Central Java slumped. Farmers then use pest control with owls.

The use of owls as a natural eradication of rat pests has been applied by farmers in several areas in Purworejo, one of which is in the village of Tunjungtejo, Pituruh District. The idea of ​​using owls as predators of rat eradication arose from members of the farmer group since the beginning of 2016.

Tunjungtejo village, which is crossed by the Kedung Gupit Wetan River and has a wide river embankment, becomes a rat's nest. With so many rat pests, farmers feel overwhelmed to eradicate it so that yields decline by 40 percent.

"Farmers feel the hassles of eradicating rats and yields are decreasing. In the past many snakes used to eat rats but now it's rare. Then the idea of ​​using owls came to eradicate the rats," said the local village chief, Suhariyono when met by reporters at the village hall on Wednesday. (12/09/2018).

With the existence of the owl, farmers now feel comfortable because there are almost no more rats in the 64.11 hectare rice field in the village. In order to make the boxy owl house 60X60 cm high and 50 cm high, the village spent around USD 1,014.

Dozens of owl houses installed at the end of the pole with a height of 6 meters were then placed in the rice fields. Because there is a place provided and food in the form of mice that roam the rice fields, instinctively owls come by themselves and occupy the box even up to breed.

"The owl when hunting prey continues to return to its cage at night, and the rats that hear the sound of owls flying here and there back and forth apparently also fear. Every day under the cage there is always the remaining dead rat carcasses after preyed on, "Suhariyono said.

With the reduction of mice in the rice fields, the harvest can be returned intact. The positive impact of the eradication of pests with natural predators has now been felt by farmers in the village, even the surrounding villages also feel the benefits.

"In addition to rice, rats also eat palawija because farmers here also plant palawija including nuts. After there are mouse owls so much reduced, even the benefits of natural eradication are also felt by neighboring village farmers," he said.