EcoSolutions operates the Urban Owl Box Project and the Raptor Centre at Broederstroom. We provide owl boxes, bat boxes, barbet logs, bird feeders and eco-gift hampers, and install the same at homes and schools throughout Gauteng and the North West province. We also consult to eco-friendly estates and can come to your development and advise on what we recommend to maximise the avian wildlife in your estate; what birds are currently there and what can be encouraged; where we recommend that boxes and hides are installed, and we can provide you with a quote for the entire estate. We do this at several eco-parks and estates with great success. If the estate is sufficiently large we can also look at building release pens and doing owl releases there. All EcoSolutions products are made using recycled wood. Contact us for further information.

Owl boxes:
Our owl boxes are constructed from weatherproof plywood (13mm marine ply) and are then sealed with an industrial wood sealant. The thickness of the wood as well as the wood sealant used is designed to give the box an outdoor lifespan of five years. Our boxes are designed to attract Spotted Eagle Owl and Barn Owls, both of which are the owls most commonly found in the green belts of Gauteng. For further information on owl boxes, see the Owl Box Project, which includes details on pricing, installation and maintenance.
 
Bat Boxes:
Bat boxes are a great way to provide housing for our other winged friends. These boxes are slim and unobtrusive and are installed by us against the side of your house. Each box can accommodate up to 100 bats and will also stop them from setting up house in your eaves!
 
Bats are super little critters and often wrongly vilified: they keep the mosquito population nicely under control and complement your garden wildlife perfectly. They are unobtrusive and not harmful to you or your domestic pets and, contrary to popular belief, have no interest in getting entangled in your hair!

Encouraging bats is also the very best way of getting rid of those pesky mozzies! A single bat house may become home to 100 or so bats, which will consume up to 60,000 insects a night!
 
Bats are a sort of ‘bug police’: they fly around and catch insects using a process called echolocation to find their insect meals. They make high-pitched sounds that bounce off objects and return to the bat as echoes. Bats in flight can distinguish the difference in sound between a tree, your head, and a mosquito! They reduce pests naturally, reducing the need for pesticide usage and thereby helping to make our water and earth cleaner.
 
About 70 percent of all bats eat insects: flies, mosquitoes, beetles, and cockroaches. Bats are also responsible for pollinating trees, flowers, and cacti. They spread seeds so plants grow in new areas. Bats pollinate avocados, bananas, breadfruit, dates, figs, mangoes, and peaches. These remarkable mammals live in sophisticated colonies and each can eat half its weight in insects a night, so they are great at controlling large numbers of pests that harm crops and spread disease. Certain microorganisms found in bat droppings may have important medical uses for humans!

• Our plain bat boxes cost R470 each, including installation.
• Bat hotels are R980.

• We now also stock a limited edition of mosaic bat houses. Beautifully crafted with glass and ceramic tiles these bat houses provide the most stylish of homes for discerning bats and can be installed by us in your garden for just R830. (Colour and design may vary slightly from the one pictured, as each mosaic bat house is individually handcrafted)

Payment is required by cheque/cash on delivery, or through internet transfer within (3) three working days. Contact us at owlboxinfo@absamail.co.za if you would like us to install a bat house at your home or if you would like to make a gift of a bat box to a friend or family member.

Barbet Nesting Logs
Made from 100% sisal (agave sisalana), our barbet nesting logs offer your garden barbets the perfect garden residence. Both adults excavate the hole in the nesting log, creating an entrance tunnel and an enlarged nesting chamber. And they do so very swiftly! Barbets are arboreal birds which nest in tree holes, laying their eggs between September and December. 1 to 5 eggs are laid at daily intervals, with incubation lasting between 13 to 17 days.
Our barbet nesting logs cost just R140 each, including delivery and installation, and have a life-span of around 12-18 months.

Bird Feeders:

Our handmade, wooden bird feeders provide excellent feeding stations for your small to medium-sized garden birds and are hugely popular, especially with the birds! EcoSolutions Bird Feeders cost R 350 (including delivery) and can be hung in an appropriate spot in your garden to attract all sorts of birds to your property. Once the word gets out, they’ll be queuing for their turn!

Additional Services:
The accurate and detailed monitoring of the box is important. The servicing of the box provides the means by which this can be achieved. It is important to check these boxes for wear and also to treat them against bee occupancy. These services are scheduled prior to the owl breeding season. Please feel free to contact EcoSolutions at owlboxinfo@absamail.co.za if you have any queries regarding this project.

Garden Bird Consultation:
We are now offering garden bird consultation to private individuals. This service was formerly only available to developers and estate managers, but we are now able to bring this service to your very own garden. Our professional bird experts, including Jonathan and Nicholas, will come to your house and offer advice on what birds are currently in your garden and how you can enhance and expand the avian wildlife in your very own backyard. We will tell you what you should do, what you shouldn’t do, and what you can do to make your garden an avian paradise! A consultation of this nature costs just R750.