CSI: Case of Crops
Salvador Sandoval
The Crops Are Ruined! What happened?
A farmer's crops have been ruined due to a vast amount of mice eating them. What could be the reason for the increase in the mice population? The farmer says that the mice have ruined up to 15 percent of the crops and has baited 30 percent of his field. There have also been three reported deaths of barn owls in Channahon, which could be a key reason for the increase. The cause of death seems to be due to poisoning.
Investigation
The scientists decided to investigate by dissecting the pellets left by local barn owls. During the dissection they looked for bones of any rodents that could relate to the scene of the farm. By finding if they ate the same rodents on the farm they could make a connection to why there was an increase in mice eating the crops. They would end up finding that the owls ate mice and other rodents.
Results
From what the scientists found they discovered that the barn owls eat mice. Without the owls the mice population will continue to grow and eat up the farmer's crops. The owls eat up to