On May 10th, the "Shimoyuguchi Owl Society", which mainly operates in the Hirosaki/Shimoyuguchi area, held an observation meeting for the owl's birdhouse.

A group formed by researchers from the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hirosaki University, centered on apple farmers at Shimoguchi. We started activities in 2014 to protect apple trees from rat feeding damage. “The damage of mice is a life and death problem for apple farmers. It is said that owls feed 1200 mice per family during the breeding season. The number of owls can be increased as much as possible. If you can get rid of it," he says.

According to Mr. Ishioka, the old apple trees in Aomori used to have many old trees with "judo" that would allow owls to nest, so many owls nested and the number of mice naturally suppressed. It was said to have been done. "In order to increase apple production, we had to replace it with younger trees, so the large caverns disappeared and we couldn't see owl nests," he said.

The association established 55 nest boxes this year, 7 nest boxes that led to nesting, and 21 chicks were confirmed. On the same day, about 20 members of the association gathered to observe the four birdhouses and found chicks in the birdhouse and chicks already resting on nesting trees.

Chie Murano, a doctoral student at the United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences at Iwate University, said, "We need to further examine how owls have the effect of suppressing rats in apple orchards and the environment in which owls easily nest. By continuing to install birdhouses and increasing the number of owls in the wild, we hope that we can eventually help apple growers."