Fake owls, rubber snakes, water cannons, hot pepper sauce, wolf urine – it seems there are as many “solutions” to keeping unwanted critters out of your garden as there are unwanted critters.
Your mother had a solution, your gardener has a solution, Martha Stewart has a solution, the mailman has an answer, and probably the waitress and the cashier at the grocery store as well. I might have even heard Hillary and Obama debating the issue recently.
Truth is, if there was a sure-fire way to keep our four-legged friends out of our gardens everyone by now would be doing it. There wouldn’t be such conflicting answers to such an annoying problem; but there is. Let’s just say there is little agreement about what works and what doesn’t.
Basically, the gardeners war with rabbits, skunks, raccoons, feral cats, opossums, deer and even crows and birds boils down to two main approaches: repellants and scare tactics.
You could fill books discussing the effectiveness of various homemade and commercial remedies designed to keep these animals at bay. What works terrific this month, may not work at all next month. What works for the neighbor across the street has no effect at all in your garden. What works on rabbits doesn’t work on skunks and vice versa. The discussion of animal repellants is fraught with drama, anectdotes, drivel and gibberish and mostly unscientific gobbledygook.
Instead, let’s look at some current products on the market intended specifically for scaring these creatures from your garden. What really works?
The first and most traditional form of is, of course, the beloved scarecrow. Nowadays, scarecrows are viewed merely as whimsical garden art, since their bird-scaring abilities have proven to be somewhat limited.
We've all seen the bobbing-head plastic owls which became very popular several years ago. Until, that is, everyone discovered they work about as well as scarecrows. Ditto for rubber snakes. (There is a $60 fake owl with outstretched, flapping wings that works somewhat better, however.)
The problem seems to be that birds, especially, are probably a little smarter than we give them credit for. (Remember when it was an insult to call someone a "birdbrain"?) Well, many birds quickly figure out that since that plastic owl or rubber snake isn't actually doing anything, such as attacking and devouring them, the present surroundings must be safe. In short, they get used to pretty much whatever stationary object you put out.
The key word here is stationary, however. Therefore, the most effective creature-scaring methods are the ones that involve constantly moving objects. Here are a few:
Terror Eyes Balloon (shown above) - This is a large orange vinyl balloon which bears the frightening face of a falcon. It moves constantly in the wind and is said to work pretty well in deterring small creatures. NASA apparently uses these to keep wild bird flocks away from the space shuttle launch areas.
Foil Tape (and Other Shiny Objects) - Another good option is iridescent foil tape strips. Some types are even printed with a crocodile-like pattern to mimic reptilian predators. Basically, though, it is the flashing that scares animals and birds. Many gardeners report similar good results with old compact discs tied to a string, or foil pie pans mounted on sticks. Again, movement is the key. An added bonus with the foil tape is that it sometimes makes a rattling sound in the breeze which also scares approaching creatures.
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Motion Detected Sound, Air, Light, or Water Blasters - These contraptions aremore elaborate and expensive, but still one of the best tactics. About $100 will get you the Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler, which releases a harmless, three-second pulsating spray of water. The combination of the sudden noise, movement, and water frightens animals away. (The day will inevitable come, however, when you will walk in front of it yourself and get doused. Don't say I didn't warn you.)
Conversely, some of the sound blasters designed for chasing geese will simulate gunshots, coyote howls, hawk squawks and other predator noises. Think about that before you get one, though...do you really want to be awakened by the sound of gunfire in the middle of the night? Other sound devices will simulate the distress call of several different bird species. Still others are ultrasonic and cannot be heard by humans at all.
Laser Blasters - If you've got $1300 to burn, you can get a laser beam. This is more for professional and commercial use, obviously, but it is apparently quite effective. The green laser light flashes and scans in differing patterns to scare and temporarily disorient critters.
To sum up: keep in mind that movement is the key. Harmlessly startling the unwanted visitors is your main goal. And, no matter what device you decide to use, you will need to relocate it periodically to keep the offending animals on their toes...and off of your property.
Ron Vanderhoff is the Nursery Manager at Roger’s Gardens, Corona del Mar
Questions from Readers
May 10, 2008
Question:
When is the Sherman Gardens tour?
Eric, Corona del Mar
Answer:
For the 12th year, The Volunteer Association of The Sherman Library and Gardens is conducting their Annual Spring Garden Tour. This year’s event includes five stunning private gardens in Corona del Mar and Newport Beach. Tickets may be purchased in the Gift Shop or by phone at (949) 673-2261. The tour date is Sunday, May 18th.
