"AndyS" wrote in
oups.com:

Andy writes:

Well, I'm starting a new garden and stuff has sprouted
and things
seem to be going well. But I am apprehensive about my
tomatoes. I live in a very rural area and there are LOTS
AND LOTS of birds, including crows the size of owls.....
I am sure these critters love tomatoes, figs, and
grapes........

So, I am considering putting up a scarecrow.

go ahead, but it won't stop the birds for more than 10
minutes
seriously, birds are smarter than that. if it doesn't move,
it's not going to scare anything.
OTOH, crows eat carrion mostly, so they aren't in the least
interested in your tomatoes. i've never had a bird problem
with tomatoes (well, except the chickens). hornworms, yes.
birds, no.
as for the grapes & figs, it may be more useful to put
netting over those when they start to ripen. i only have
Concord & wild grapes here and they're mostly so the birds
leave the fruit i *do* want alone
oh, the crows don't want your grapes or figs either... the
only thing crows tend to bother is sprouting corn, because the
corn sprouts about the same time they're feeding nestlings.

Has anyone here had experience with scarecrows and would
you be willing to pass along any tips and techniques on
making it effective ?

crows are very intelligent. if you need to keep them away
from sprouting corn, things that are very shiny & move work
best, but don't leave anything in one place more than 24 hours
or they'll learn to ignore it.

lee
--
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the
guise of
fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison, fourth US president
(1751-1836)