I've never used a scarecrow. It seems to me that crows are pretty smart and would never fall for that. Has anyone experimented with them and found out if they really work?
I use one, but not for crows. I have a HUGE problem with starlings getting into my chicken coop and stealing the feed and just generally making an incredible mess.
I find that it is reasonably effective, with a few simple techniques. First, it should look as human-like as possible. Two sticks with a shirt and a straw hat won't work. We use an old dressmaker's dummy with a styrofoam wigstand head. We dress it in bright, loose-fitting clothes.
The loose-fitting clothes are part of the plan. As the wind hits it, the clothes flop around. Anything that adds movement improves it's effectiveness.
Finally, we move the dummy every other day or so. If it sits in one place too long, the birds get used to it and ignore it. For the same reason, we change it's "outfit" occasionally.
As I said, it's reasonably effective, and the neighbors get a kick out of checking to see what she's wearing today!
I think it's a long-shot, but you might be able to get a dummy from a clothing store. They might have an old one that they don't use and be happy to get rid of it.
I had a scarecrow for a while that wasn't very effective, but then again I never thought to move it around. Don't know if I'd have the patience to get out there and change the outfits regularly, lol.
I didn't move ours around either and I saw the squirrels sitting on it once. I have some out front for decoration now during fall. I don't know how to keep those pesky birds and critters out of the garden. We lost a whole row of corn because of woodchucks.
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