Every Halloween, scarecrows become standard lawn decor. Trick-or-treaters might find them frightening, but what about the birds that these effigies are supposed to repel?
Apparently, some avians dislike them more than others. A series of tests conducted in 1980 found that small ponds near where a scarecrow was planted saw a 95 percent drop in visits by local ducks. On the other hand, certain species don’t seem to notice them. During the 1930s, wildlife scientist K.R. Lagler sent one scarecrow adrift on a floating buoy at a West Virginia fish hatchery. While most birds steered clear of the thing, he noted that it failed to deter kingfishers.
Let’s forget about bodies of water for a moment. After all, most people associate scarecrows with cornfields rather than ponds or fisheries. So, how good are they at protecting crops? Not very—unless you’re willing to put some extra effort into them.
While traditional, motionless scarecrows do work against “pest birds” (e.g. crows and blackbirds), the effect is almost always temporary. Over time, the birds get used to stationary dummies and resume their destructive habits.
However, a few tricks can up your scarecrow’s game. Researchers have learned that those with realistic facial features and brightly colored clothes are slightly better at shooing away birds. Also, moving a scarecrow around every few days often helps.
According to several studies, flailing models get the very best results. In 1989, one scientist reported that a “human-like mannequin” that occasionally lurched upwards via a double propane cannon managed to keep up to six acres of sunflowers safe from blackbirds.
Future farmers may have plenty of high-tech options to choose from. A robotic alternative known as the “Agrilaser” randomly deploys sweeping laser beams to keep birds away. “The system is noiseless,” Arnold Bosgoed, a farmer had tested it out, told The Daily Mail in 2014, “and the birds do not seem to get used to the laser beam. The installation was easy and requires no maintenance.” Another contraption—the solar-powered “digital scarecrow”—detects nearby animals with an infrared eye that surveys 178,000 square feet. Whena critter gets too close, it’s warded off with a harmless supersonic wave.
Now there’s one scarecrow that won’t be asking for a brain anytime soon.
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A version of this story originally ran in 2015; it has been updated for 2023.
Not very—unless you're willing to put some extra effort into them. While traditional, motionless scarecrows do work against “pest birds” (e.g. crows and blackbirds), the effect is almost always temporary. Over time, the birds get used to stationary dummies and resume their destructive habits.
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.
The traditional scarecrow that never moves, just hangs motionless will chase away what are called “pest birds” the crows and blackbirds, but it's temporary. The birds eventually get used to stationary dummies and go for the corn.
Depending on what they are made of, scarecrows have varying success in deterring birds from crops. Ones with tin pans that flash in the sun and bang against each other in the wind help, at least until the birds get used to them. Unfortunately, they don't do much for scaring off deer.
Try and change something on your scarecrow every day. Simply giving your scarecrow a change of clothing can spook birds away. Make sure your scarecrows wardrobe is full of bright colors as these are the most effective at scaring birds.
The use of scarecrows, mannequins, or human effigies to prevent bird damage to crops apparently dates back thousands of years to the beginning of agriculture. A wide variety of scarecrows are still in use in many cultures, but they are generally viewed in western countries as low-tech and thus non-effective.
A scarecrow will not keep all the deer away. Today, farmers use smelly or bad tasting sprays and fences to keep pests away from fields. Even in the garden, people today use other kinds of things to keep birds and deer away.
In Europe, scarecrows have long been tied to the supernatural boogeyman, a monster who is often depicted in tattered clothing. To a superstitious agrarian society, not only would scarecrows keep birds away from crops, but they could also scare children away from the fields where there might be strange things hiding.
Some scientists today claim that it's not the scarecrow, but the scent of people clinging to the clothes that keeps the birds away at first. But after the rain and the wind carry away these scents, the “scare” out of the scarecrow.
Today, many big farms have replaced scarecrows with chemicals, windmills, and devices that emit ultrasonic waves. In recorded history, it is believed that the scarecrow dates back before Christ to Egypt where it was used to protect their wheat fields along the Nile River from flocks of quail.
Start by buttoning all but the top four buttons of the scarecrow's shirt, and then inserting a 6-foot stake through both of the shirt sleeves, making sure it's centered evenly through the garment (Image 1). This stake will act as your horizontal support.
The effectiveness is in their novelty, they can frighten off varmints if their new, but if the varmints get enough time to figure out that the new thing in the field does't move, it just becomes an elaborate perching location. Scarecrows, by themselves, work well for about a day.
The most effective scarecrows are those capable of some kind of motion, like moving around a pole in the wind or having parts that flap in a breeze. Loud noises also work to scare birds away, if only temporarily.
While they will steer clear of anything that looks suspicious or out of place, if it stays put for a while, they'll get used to it, and eventually you'll find them roosting on it! A basic scarecrow, placed in your garden and left alone, is likely only to be effective for a few days.
Scarecrows are human-shaped and can be constructed from inexpensive materials. However, since they are motionless and crows are smart, they typically offer only limited and short-term protection in scaring crows away.
What makes an effective bird deterrent for gardens? Birds dislike strong smells, shiny objects, and threatening predators. Certain methods that you could implement here include recycling CDs or DVDs as shiny objects, using herbs such as garlic as a strong smell, or adding animal sound devices.
Visual deterrents such as Flash Tape, Predator Eye Balloons, Hawk Decoys, and Reflective Eye Diverters are easily spotted by birds and work well to scare them away. These types of deterrents are most effective when changed or moved regularly.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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