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.

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

Thanks for your informed advice....

Andy in Eureka, Texas

On the day of 9 Apr 2006 19:08:40 -0700...
"AndyS"
typed these letters:

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.

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

Thanks for your informed advice....

Andy in Eureka, Texas


I've seen crows perch on scarecrows. These scarecrows didn't look
a lot like people though. I've always though a department store
mannequin might work. In strawberry patches I regularly see a stakes
driven in the ground about 4' high with about a foot long
string attached to the top. The other end of the string is tied to
an aluminum pie pan. I guess the idea is that the pie plate clanked
against the stake in the wind. I've never tried it, so I can't say it
works, but I see it done a lot.

I've never had a problem with birds messing with my tomatoes.
Them big green ugly tobacco/horn worms are the things that
hit me here in North Carolina.

"AndyS" wrote in message
oups.com...

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


Few if any scarecrows work forever. Eventually the birds wise up and realize
it's fake. Mylar streamers are often used because they move in the wind and
startle birds.

If all else fails, consider a motion activated sprinkler.

-S

"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)

"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)


a scarecrow really doesnt work but is a cute garden decoration. we always used to have one in our garden when we were kids. the one thing that does help is the pie plates that devonshire mentioned. i used to put a stake at either end of my beans and tomatoes when they were sprouting and would put pie plates on a wire running from one stake to the other. just put a hole in the edge of the pie plate rim and then use a string (dont make it to long) to tie the pie plate tightly to your wire, put them not to far apart because u want them to hit each other a bit to make a banging sound so that it scares the birds away.
another idea is to use those little whirlygigs that they have for kids the birds dont like the motion of them spinning around either. u can get some at the dollar stores but there are larger ones available which i think would work a little better, maybe check out walmart or another dept store in your area for those. i know michaels craft store had some large ones here in canada maybe try there to if u have them in your area u might be able to get them at a reasonable price. good luck. cyaaaaa, sockiescat.

Scarecrows are probably the best excuse, ever invented, to use some of those
ugly bride's maid dresses . Most scarecrows are 'male' and don't have much
to blow in the breeze, the fluttering skirt of a really ugly taffeta and net
dress will do the trick for about 3 weeks........don't forget the fluttering
veil and ribbons on the hat! After that go to the Mylar ribbons and hanging
some of those free for 30 days computer discs that come in the mail to spin
in the wind. The flashing from those works great in fruit trees too.

Val


"AndyS" wrote in message
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.

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

Thanks for your informed advice....

Andy in Eureka, Texas

Valkyrie wrote:
Scarecrows are probably the best excuse, ever invented, to use some of those
ugly bride's maid dresses . Most scarecrows are 'male' and don't have much
to blow in the breeze, the fluttering skirt of a really ugly taffeta and net
dress will do the trick for about 3 weeks........don't forget the fluttering
veil and ribbons on the hat! After that go to the Mylar ribbons and hanging
some of those free for 30 days computer discs that come in the mail to spin
in the wind. The flashing from those works great in fruit trees too.

Val
[...]

Birds become habituated to any type of scarecrow. Which means that if we
can prevent that habituation, the scarecrows will be successful. Suppose
we set up a new scarecrow before the birds become habituated to the
old one. Then replace the new one before the birds become habituated to
it, perhaps by the previous one, perhaps by a third type. And so on. My
guess is that this would work.

So:
Has anyone here tried a random sequence of different scarecrow types,
set up at randomised intervals of, say, 5 to 15 days? Or know of such an
experiment?

HTH