Why were openings near barn roofs useful for barn owls?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

A large grain elevator and several metal silos stand on a farm surrounded by green fields, with hills and a partly cloudy sky in the background. — Farm building Grain elevator and silos on a small farm.

Farmers historically cut entrance holes near the roofs of barns to invite barn owls to nest in the structures. These openings were useful because the owls would hunt the rats and mice that were attracted to the grain stored inside the barns, effectively providing natural pest control for the farmer's harvest.1