Raptors, the fearsome, majestic aerial predators are not only exciting to see, but they provide an invaluable ecological service.  For a large portion of nature’s rodent control services, we have none other than these incredible creatures to thank!  Much folklore surrounds the owls, in particular.  These beliefs include owls acting as messengers from deceased loved ones, as well as daytime owl encounters symbolizing bad luck.  True or not, one thing is certain: there are simple measures you can take to protect these incredible birds.  Following our obscene abuse of DDT in the 1960’s war on mosquitos (which backfired, anyway), the bald eagle, symbol of our nation, had nearly gone extinct.  As it turns out, this toxic chemical destroys eagle eggs, ensuring the hapless chicks never have a chance.  The DDT epidemic has now mostly been reconciled, but raptors are still ingesting toxic chemicals on the reg.  Such a simple measure as abandoning the use of rodent poisons could save the lives of multiple owls, hawks, etc.  Upon consuming an infected rodent, the bird in question is promptly poisoned.  Please just allow our avian predators to do their jobs, or your rodent disturbance will transform into a rodent infestation.