What animal kills the most rodents?

The animal that kills the most rodents overall is likely the domestic cat when you consider global impact across households, farms, and feral populations, though in natural ecosystems owls and other birds of prey are extremely effective rodent predators. A single barn owl family can kill thousands of rodents per year, with estimates of one barn owl eating up to 3,000 to 4,000 rodents annually, and they hunt almost exclusively on rodents like mice, voles, and rats. Cats, both pet and feral, kill billions of small mammals worldwide each year, including mice, rats, and voles, with studies estimating that cats in the United States alone kill over a billion rodents annually. Other major rodent predators include snakes, especially rat snakes and gopher snakes, which can consume many mice and rats, foxes, coyotes, weasels, and hawks. In agricultural settings, humans kill the most rodents through trapping, poisoning, and exclusion as part of pest control, but as a natural predator, the barn owl is often cited as the most efficient rodent killer because it hunts silently at night when rodents are most active, has excellent hearing, and can hunt in large numbers. For homeowners, encouraging barn owls by installing owl boxes can be a natural form of rodent control that is more effective than many repellents.