Scarecrows will most definitely work if they are tended to correctly. After all of your hard work in your garden or field, it can be devastating to find that a bird has made your crops their personal playground. However, not all is lost when it comes to your crops. Birds are adaptable creatures and will grow accustomed to a scarecrow within a matter of days, so you must be adaptable as well. There are a variety of ways to ensure that your scarecrow continues to work against these birds such as ensuring it is constructed properly, changing up the style of the scarecrow, and relocating not only the scarecrow, but items in your yard.
How Do I Construct a Scarecrow so it Works?
Proper construction of your scarecrow will go a long way to ensure that it stays functioning in your fight against any birds. If your scarecrow is not built properly, birds, weather, and a host of other elements can destroy it and render it ineffective. Properly stuffing your scarecrow and securing it to a sturdy frame will go a long way in helping to scare birds away from your crops.
Proper Stuffing
By properly stuffing your scarecrow, you have laid the foundation to ensure that your scarecrow will work day after day to scare away any unwanted birds. Materials that do not degrade easily, such as small plastic bags or old rags, go a long way to help your scarecrow remain functioning as they are not easily destroyed by the elements. If you’d like to use traditional materials such as straw, leaves, or even newspaper, ensure you place them into a plastic garbage bag to help protect the materials from becoming wet and ineffective.
Frame
The framing of your scarecrow is extremely important in ensuring that your scarecrow will continue to work for years to come. Sturdy materials such as wooden boards fastened into a T-shape or piping made of metal or PVC stuck into the ground will be able to hold up to both the elements and any pesky critters. When fastening your materials together to construct your frame, ensure that you use metal fasteners as these will hold up longer and will be less likely to break under wear.
Should I Change Up My Scarecrow to Keep it Working?
One of the most beneficial tactics to keeping your scarecrow working consistently is to change your scarecrow’s appearance every few days. There are a variety of different approaches you can use to alter your scarecrow’s appearance such as changing its clothing, choosing different accessories for it to utilize, and even giving it a new head every few months to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Clothing
Changing up the fashion of your scarecrow will prove beneficial to keeping it working properly and to keeping your garden protected from the birds. While any old clothes, such as a flannel shirt or overalls, will do to dress your scarecrow, remember that the clothing will need to be changed every few days for maximum effectiveness. This will keep your scarecrow looking great and will prove most beneficial as any pesky birds will not have a chance to grow accustomed to it.
Accessories
Accessories are truly a scarecrow’s best friend when it comes to the effectiveness of protecting your crops and keeping the birds away. Shiny objects such as old pie tins, worn-out CDs, and strips of plastic can be fastened to the scarecrow in a variety of decorative ways to keep the birds scared and far away from your crops. Remember that noise making devices such as a wind chime or bells can also be used and will prove effective in keeping your scarecrow working.
New Heads
Despite not being on most people’s list of things to change, changing the head of a scarecrow can prove beneficial in keeping it working properly. A Scarecrow’s head can be changed out in a multitude of ways including with a stuffed piece of fabric, an empty milk jug, or even a traditional pumpkin or gourd if you’re looking to be festive. Additionally, a hairpiece for the head such as an old wig or a dirty mop head may be added to give your scarecrow even more variety and will keep any birds scared and away.
Should I Move My Scarecrow?
Birds and other animals are hyper aware of their surroundings. As such, any subtle change to their environment can be enough to keep them away for at least a few days. To keep your scarecrow working properly, it is recommended that you move not only your scarecrow every week, but move other items throughout your yard as well. By implementing this tactic, birds will be wary to approach your scarecrow and your crops.
Movement
Moving your scarecrow around your crops every few days is extremely important to ensure that your scarecrow continues to work against those pesky birds. Once a bird becomes aware that a scarecrow will not move, the bird will no longer be afraid of the scarecrow. By relocating said scarecrow around to a different section of your crops, or even around your yard, it will dramatically increase the effectiveness of your scarecrow and keep any wandering birds away.
Yard Instruments
Remember that any yard instruments such as a wheelbarrow or gardening tools can be multipurpose when speaking about the effectiveness of your scarecrow. Not only can these instruments be displayed around your scarecrow for a nice, decorative touch, they can also be removed and changed frequently to disrupt the environment. By changing out these items, you can refresh your yard and keep your scarecrow working perfectly!
Conclusion
Scarecrows, while a time-honored tradition, will not work solely on their own. By putting in a little bit of effort, you can ensure that your scarecrow is an effective deterrent to birds looking to make your crops a meal. By properly constructing your scarecrow, changing your scarecrow’s appearance, and moving both your scarecrow and its decorative accessories, you will be able to say you have a scarecrow that works!