Have you ever heard scarecrows don't work? That's not entirely true. Scarecrows scare away birds, but many factors determine how effective they will be. This article will discuss what scarecrow type is best for your situation and what the scarecrow setup should include.
The effectiveness of scarecrows depends on the bird's species. For example, crows and blackbirds are easily scared off by scarecrows, but pigeons and seagulls are not as easily frightened.
In general, scarecrows work best when used in combination with other bird deterrents. Scarecrows should be placed near crops or areas where you don't want the birds to be and alternate between using scarecrows and another type of bird control method. Brightly colored clothing and moving the scarecrow around every few days can increase the effectiveness for a period.
There are different types of scarecrows; for example, there are scarecrows based on specific animals' predators. For example, you may find a scarecrow device in the shape of an owl, a coyote, or a snake to scare away certain birds. Others are painted balls based on the shape of predators' eyes. With these stationary scarecrow methods, however, the birds generally catch on to the trick after a while and come back, ignoring the scarecrow.
Motion-based scarecrows work much more effectively than stationary ones because birds don't get used to motion-based scarecrows as quickly. If the scarecrow is moving around birds are much more likely to continue to avoid it. Motion-based scarecrows include kinesthetic motion such as a rotating windmill or can also include sound-based scarecrows like sound generators.
Sound-generator scarecrows in particular can be effective methods of bird control. Some broadcast the sounds of certain species of birds' predators to warn the birds to keep away. Others broadcast frequencies that only birds can hear, keeping them away and avoiding human annoyance from hearing sound frequencies.
No scarecrow is 100% effective; however, with some modification or combination of scarecrows, you can definitely reduce the number of bird pests in your yard.
As a scarecrow alternative, if you are keeping a vegetable garden and want to keep birds from getting at your vegetables, you could use mesh netting to cover your plants and prevent the birds from getting in. Ultraviolet-protected mesh is preferred so that it may last longer. Another alternative is to start a greenhouse. Greenhouses do not only protect your plants from the sun and weather, but they also keep out birds and other animals.
So, Do Scarecrows Work?
Hopefully by the end of this article we have answered your question. Scarecrows work for a few days if they're stationary scarecrows, longer if they are motion-based. There are plenty of options when it comes to scarecrows. Choose one that works for you.
If you have a bird problem, we can help. AviAway professionally installs bird control solutions for all bird species. Click here or call 844-247-3373 to get a free bird control quote.