do scarecrows work?
I think I'll be making one with my son regardless, but I was wondering if anyone has had any success keeping birds away with them?
- rainbowgardener
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I'm sure I've seen photos of birds sitting on a scarecrow, but I couldn't find one to post.
The birds get used to it after awhile. It helps if you can give it big loose floppy clothes that blow around. The motion helps scare them. It helps to put it in a different part of your garden at different times. Aluminum pie tins hung so they swing work better, but maybe you could hang the pie tins from the scarecrow arms?
The birds get used to it after awhile. It helps if you can give it big loose floppy clothes that blow around. The motion helps scare them. It helps to put it in a different part of your garden at different times. Aluminum pie tins hung so they swing work better, but maybe you could hang the pie tins from the scarecrow arms?
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- rainbowgardener
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Birds are your friends and I keep bird feeders full and grow things for them. That doesn't mean you want them eating your corn (or whatever) crop.
The scarecrow's efficacy will be improved by the measures marlingardener and I suggested. And it has the advantage of being totally harmless to the birds, neither killing them nor driving them away from your property.
The scarecrow's efficacy will be improved by the measures marlingardener and I suggested. And it has the advantage of being totally harmless to the birds, neither killing them nor driving them away from your property.
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I'm having problems with birds too. There was a couple days in a row that I would go outside and they pulled my fresh planted seedling out and set them next to the hole they were in. Very frustrating! Also they topped a few of the plants, I'm assuming they couldn't get them out of the ground. And just recently the swallows are going crazy around here... I keep spraying their nests down as they try to build them.
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I've always felt the same way, but we can't put our dogs food out there without them being around it and pooping all over in it. And I don't want a chance at him getting sick because of it.
Also those darn birds dive bomb anyone in the back yard... Literally swooping at us and the dog... Kinda funny but sometimes, but it makes the little ones scared...
Also those darn birds dive bomb anyone in the back yard... Literally swooping at us and the dog... Kinda funny but sometimes, but it makes the little ones scared...
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- rainbowgardener
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Are you sure those are swallows? Swallows eat exclusively on the wing while flying, they do not land. In my experience they do not come very near houses or people.oldschoolvdub wrote:I've always felt the same way, but we can't put our dogs food out there without them being around it and pooping all over in it. And I don't want a chance at him getting sick because of it.
Also those darn birds dive bomb anyone in the back yard... Literally swooping at us and the dog... Kinda funny but sometimes, but it makes the little ones scared...
There are birds that behave as you describe, starlings and grackles are famous for liking dry dog and cat food and being both messy and bold.
Here's a picture of a swallow, but you will likely never see one this close up, usually you only see them fairly high up silhouetted against the sky:
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/swallow-info.htm
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It is my understanding that swallows are far more of an issue in CA than around here and roosting there can get far more problematic. And I have see barn swallows set up shop pretty heavily on houses, especially older models...
Hardware cloth or wire may well deter them from areas you don't want them, and providing some other structure (two boards nailed in an upside down L-shape crossview, nailed between two trees, or on a shed wall) will help make the transition easier...
But they have a noted tendency for using the same spots year after year. This may take some work...
HG
Hardware cloth or wire may well deter them from areas you don't want them, and providing some other structure (two boards nailed in an upside down L-shape crossview, nailed between two trees, or on a shed wall) will help make the transition easier...
But they have a noted tendency for using the same spots year after year. This may take some work...
HG
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I have a lot of strawberries this year. I am going to need some way to keep the birds out of them. I'm considering netting but it will make it difficult to pick them. I'd like the CD idea! I have a lot of old CDs I need to clean out. It only needs to work for aboiut a month while the June bearing strawberries are ripening.