[Watch] Ducks Are Employed To Eat Pests On This South African Farm

Organic is all the rage nowadays. Unfortunately, some small farmers can have a heck of a time combatting pests without using toxic pesticides, such as Monsanto’s RoundUp. Perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned, then, from the Vergenoedg Wine Estate in South Africa which employs ducks to eat pests.

As the video above conveys, each day in the vineyard, a massive troupe of 900 ducks eagerly run to work. They’re anxious to claim the easy grub that awaits them.

Once on the premises, the web-footed omnivores will tirelessly consume slugs, snails, and a wide array of bothersome – and potentially dangerous – insects and grubs, not limited to mosquito pupae, Japanese beetle larvae, potato beetles, and grasshoppers. For this reason, the birds are favored by farmers who want to reduce their reliance on toxic pest control methods.

“This waddling workforce is essential to the farm’s pest-control, consuming a startling amount of snails and bugs on their daily patrols. The ducks are also a big part of why Vergenoegd proudly carries WWF biodiversity certification,” says the winery.

The benefits they offer aren’t limited to the pests they consume, either. Ducks provide valuable plant food via their manure and feathers (worms find molted feathers delicious), and garden-raised ducks can also supply nutritious eggs for the table.

Finally, they’re incredibly entertaining to watch. In fact, watching them might just quack you up.

Credit: Insider
Credit: Insider

Nicole Arnold, an estate employee, told the Daily Mail:

“Having the ducks on the farm has definitely helped us by not having to use as much pesticide in our vineyards, which also allows the good bugs to live and the not-so-good ones to be eaten by the ducks.”

According to Mother Earth News, the web-footed creatures are hardy and resistant to many diseases and parasites and adapt well to virtually all climates – including the cold north, dry deserts and the wettest tropical rainforest. As a result, they’re a suitable pest control alternative.

Watch the video above, comment your thoughts below, and please share this news!


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