The creatures discovered Cameron's drip irrigation lines 7 inches below his tomatoes and began chewing holes in them. He was forced to dig up the lines for repair or replacement. He paid thousands of dollars to hire pest control workers who set traps in his fields.

But the owls are a more elegant solution, he found. Owls sweep silently through the fields at night, locating rodents by sound even when the prey is not visible. And they have a big appetite.