Automated Scarecrow

[zigs]

That looks great for people who've got beautifully maintained gardens. Sadly ours isn't one of them.

What I would really like is an easy way to keep birds out of our fruit trees. Our plum tree is far too big to cover with bird netting.

You could try a plastic owl, they wouldn't like that

 

[Gina145]

You could try a plastic owl, they wouldn't like that

I don't think it would fool them for long. It needs to be something that moves.

I know some people around here try things like tying plastic bags or even CDs into trees. Our gardener tried plastic bags years ago, but a neighbour complained that they looked ugly (through her hedge) so he was forced to take them down. I'm told the glare off the CDs disturbs them for a while, but they soon learn that it's harmless. Birds and animals are a lot cleverer than most people give them credit for.

 

[zigs]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Action-Spinning-Turning-Deterrent-Scarer/dp/B007RM67ME

 

[Gina145]

Ooh, I like him. I don't think he'd be very effective in a big tree though. I'd probably need a whole bunch of them.

Amazon seems to have a whole range of products that are supposed to scare birds off your plants. I wonder if any of them actually work. My best bet is probably to have a look around when I'm next at a garden centre.

 

[gata montes]

Hes a lovely Owl Zigs - but couldn't have one here, as we get plenty of real ones and I wouldn't want to scare them away, as I love listening to all the different calls they make

Gina.
Don't have the neighbor problem but do have the same problem in terms of trying to keep the birds off my fruit, have tried just about everything on the market, even resorted to buying some stockings this year to put on my grapes, because the birds where actually cheeky enough to eat the grapes, whilst I was picking them, made me

You asked about the Amazon products and if anyone had found any that actually worked. There is one that actually does- but am not sure that your neighbors will like it.

Bird-X Irri Tape - is a holographic iridescent tape - which works apparently, by the birds becoming disorientated and confused by the shimmer of the holographic iridescent material, and when the wind blows, it makes a noise, that is not only threatening, but irritating to birds

Wasn't easy to tell if they were irritable and disorientated, but it was very effective and the birds really didn't seem to like it,so long as there was a slight breeze. The only other things I can think of which do work, neither of which I doubt your neighbors would like, is the paper fruit bags or as a last resort using a shotgun.

 

[Gina145]

gata montes Thank you. I'll look out for that tape when I'm at the garden centre tomorrow. We have different neighbours now and the first thing they did before they moved in was cut down that lovely old hedge and build an ugly brick wall, so there won't be any problems tying things to the tree now.

I can't put bags over the fruit on that tree because there are far too many, but I keep threatening to try it on the two figs on my small potted fig tree. It's in an enclosed area where the birds aren't likely to steal them, but you can never be sure. I just hope I find the time before it's too late.

 

[gata montes]

Gina145
Forgot to mention it , and am sure that the Bird-X Irri Tape comes with instructions, but just in case it doesn't, you will need to tie, half a meter length strips to the tree.

The paper fruit bags, do also work well and instead of trying to put a bag on each fruit, why not select a few fruits to be bagged instead of trying to do the whole tree, which is what I often do - at least that way you manage to get some fruit from you tree.

 

[Gina145]

Thanks. I might try that on some of the lower branches on the plum tree when the plums start getting a bit bigger. Though I'm curious to see how well that tape works. It sounds like a lot less effort.

 

[lemonzest]

They do

That is pure genius. My brother is handy with these sorts of devices, and has that problem on his street, I am totally sending him this video.

 

[zigs]

I probably would have thought about an electrified plate on the ground, that would be even funnier to watch

 

[justusforus]

I love cats and actually feed the ferrals here. Would love to use it on the possums and racoons, but apparently the scarecrow can't discriminate!

As to the two legged, that would be priceless.