Modern Day Scarecrows: Scarecrows for Your Garden

It is Halloween time, which means that there are a lot of scarecrows, carved pumpkins and skeleton decorations on everyone’s front porch. With all of the commercial holiday preparation, do we really know why those are the chosen decorations? I thought it would be fun to review the significance of the scarecrow and the modern day scarecrows that can be used as scarecrows for your garden.

(This post contains affiliate links. Please read the disclaimer.)

History of Scarecrows

Historically, scarecrows were used to scare away birds (especially crows) and other pests. When dealing with birds, the issue is not only that the birds will destroy the crop by pecking it, eating it, or removing it from the plant, but there is the added worry that the birds will release fecal matter on the crop, which will also render it unsaleable. Crops are more susceptible to birds when they are located in bird attractant areas. Some examples include where there are telephone lines or buildings (where the birds can perch), and open water sources.

Scarecrows for Your Garden

Today, scarecrows are most commonly seen as a Halloween decoration on the neighbor’s front porch instead of in fields to scare away birds because more effective alternatives are being used instead. So if scarecrows are no longer used, what is being used in their place? And, what can you use to keep birds and other pests out of your garden?

• Bird Netting – Bird netting can be used to cover small fruit that are in bushes or isolated trees. This method is used where there could be high fruit damage, since this method has a high initial cost, and is difficult to work around. You can also buy bird netting to use in your garden at home to keep birds, deer and other pests away from your crop.
• Reflective Tape – Reflective tape acts in a ribbon-like manner. As it blows in the wind, the reflective nature of the tape, and the crackling sound it makes while moving with the wind, scares the birds. Start looking around and you will notice that reflective tape has become a lot more popular in recent years. If you are looking for reflective tape for your garden, you can find an example here.
• Eye Spot Balloon – The balloon is meant to appear as though it has predator eyes to scare the birds away. You can find an example for balloons to include in your garden here.
• Owl House – Owl houses can be placed in orchards to attract and maintain the presence of owls, in order to scare away birds as they fear owls. (This owl house was found in a fig orchard to help control the birds.)
• Noise Devices – Cannons, sirens and other forms of noisemakers can be used to scare the birds.
• Chemical Repellents – Bird repellent can be used to cause the birds to leave the growing area. It is applied as a gel (placed where birds perch), as a fogging agent, or using a pump or power sprayer. The fogging agent causes the birds to leave the growing area after multiple applications, while the pump application causes the fruit to be inedible to the birds.

Scarecrows at Home

If you have a garden at home and have issues with birds, most of these methods are relatively inexpensive. If you are going to attempt either of the visual or sonic measures, you will need to vary the method, timing and location so the birds do not get used to the “scarecrow” and stay afraid of entering your growing area.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:

• Pink Pumpkins: Changing the World, One Pink Pumpkin at a Time
• Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?
• Fruit Trees in Bloom