Volunteers build owl nesting platforms to tackle growing rat problem
By Brooke Kinebrew
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CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, California (KSBW) — Seven volunteers in Carmel have launched Carmel Owls to address a growing rodent problem, with rats chewing through wires and HVAC systems in the area.
“Carmel has rats. Monterey Peninsula has a lot of rats because it’s a healthy forest,” Paul Falworth, a volunteer with Carmel Owls, said.
The volunteers are building nesting platforms made of redwood and cedar shingles for great horned owls.
These platforms are installed high up in tall, non-oak trees to attract these owls to nest and naturally reduce the growing rat population.
Falworth explained, “We said, hey, perhaps there’s a better way than paying, you know, 125 a week for exterminators.”
Falworth noted that great horned owls typically nest in February, so the timing is ideal; however, the owls might have checked out other nesting areas before this week, which could mean it may take a year for them to settle.
So far, six platforms have been installed in the Carmel-by-the-Sea area, with plans to build and install more across the peninsula.
Currently, about 20 to 25 homeowners are on a waiting list for the platforms, which are built to last at least 30 years and are provided at no cost by the volunteers.
“We are trying to keep the rats at bay, but also keep the animals safe,” said Nicole Parker, another volunteer with Carmel Owls. “The great horned owls prey on the rodents. We want to keep the rodents free of poisons and that type of thing, so that everybody can be healthy and we can have this natural cycle, resume here.”
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