New York City’s notoriously massive rat population appears to present a bigger health risk than was thought before. According to a new study, the rodents’ fleas could transmit Bubonic plague. Scientists from Columbia and Cornell Universities collected 133 Manhattan rats for their research. The animals were euthanized while the insects living on them were killed with a vapor.
44 occupied owl boxes in Gauteng in 2016! Boxes serviced, owlets ringed, owl pellets collected and analysed. The only urban owl project of its kind in the world. To all of our participants - we think that you are awesome. If you are interested in viewing the map in google maps, looking at the pictures, data etc, please email us
A Humboldt State University Wildlife Biologist is looking at how the raptors could play a key role in pest control for vineyards in particular.
If a picture a worth a thousand words... what is a video worth? Bats eat up to 70% of their body weight in insects every night! This video of bats emerging from a bat bank over a sugar cane farm shows that bats are perfect for natural pest insect control on farms, stables and vineyards.
No mention of COVID-19 or Lockdown! Our stories: As hungry as a bat ... Winter - baby-making weather for Bubo africanus ... Rats! Don't reach for poison ... Owls breeding in a chimney - no need for ''rescue''! ... SPCA.
We are delighted to share our Verreaux Eagle Owl Cam! A few years ago, we put a tyre in tree in Mziki Game reserve in the Northwest and filled it with sticks. In June, a friend who lives there sent us a picture of the female Verreaux Eagle Owl (Bubo lacteus) in the nest. Last week we installed an Owl Cam! It was wonderful to watch the owlet hatch on Saturday, 25th July 2020.
Welcome to our EcoSolutions Spring Newsletter, filled with exciting updates on owls, bats, and more. We hope you enjoy reading!
"Pet flea collars containing the insecticide tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) are set to be banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the agency’s long overdue response to a petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)."
Rosebank Killarney Gazette: PARKWOOD – The new owl box provides an attraction to the local park.
Randburg Sun: What are owl boxes and how do they get there? Fast facts on these birds of prey.
In a first ever, a Verreaux Eagle Owl, or commonly known as the giant eagle owl, can now be watched live as she raises a newly hatched owlet in the most unusual nest ever… a tyre!
Our November newsletter is out.
Education is important when it comes to our night-time winged friends.
Kempton Express: Choose owls above poison to control the rats.
''British scientists working in Ghana have rediscovered a "holy grail" giant owl that has lurked almost unseen in African rainforests for 150 years.'' Photo: Shelley’s Eagle Owl. Photo Credit: Dr. Robert Williams / Imperial College London
SANDTON CHRONICLE – Four owlets were discovered after the owl returned for nesting in an owl box in Sandhurst.
NYC Rats Carry Bubonic Plague-transmitting Fleas - Study
