Crows are no stranger to humans when it comes to property damage. They are the number one enemy of farmers when the crops are starting to come into fruition. Aside from their food-seeking inclination, crows also damage houses and cars all for fun. They have the habit of pecking on the putty of car windows and throwing rocks just for their entertainment. While this could be something to laugh about, protecting crops from crows becomes a loathsome task due to the losses farmers and even home gardens face.
Unlike woodpeckers and pigeons, crows are smarter. You wouldn’t want to go after them yourself since these flyers can recognize faces and send warning signals to its offsprings. They also have long memories so placing that plastic scare at the same place for months will do nothing after a few days. You have to be subtle and creative.
The good thing here is that crows don’t have much patience. If they find it hard and boring to invade your backyard farm or massive land of corn, they would stop and look for another place to pester. If you want to save your harvest, here are some guaranteed ways to outsmart the pesky crows.
1. Loud noises
Just like other birds, crows are scared of loud noises like the banging of pots and pans or distressing sounds. Like what I said earlier, crows remember what you’ll do to them, so when you chase them with a loud racket, they might dislike you as well.
You can yell at the top of your lungs as a way of protecting crops from crows. It might bother your neighbors but at least, you got your berries and cabbages safe from the beaks of the hungry birds. You have to do this consistently or it won’t work at all. Crows would go back after your first fit of rage and you have to establish that your territory isn’t the most peaceful for pecking and pelting.
Do this every single time you spot a crow planning to fly on your ‘airspace’. It will make you sound like a whack to your neighbors but who cares as long as you drive those crows away.
2. The timeless scarecrow
Gone are the days when you stuff old jeans and shirt with hay or straw. This could work at some point, but the crows will soon get used to it and realize that it’s not harmful. In case you want to stick to the traditional, you have to move the scarecrow from time to time. This is to make the crows think that it’s an actual human on guard.
If you can’t spend the time with a conventional scarecrow, get yourself a sensor sprinkler that will engage once it senses a movement. The crows will be bombarded with water which will send them flying away in fear. You can use multiple motion-sensing water jets in protecting crops from crows and to stop the birds from hanging out in your garden.
This method is a little expensive than others but worth it if you want to skip the hassle. Make sure to be strategic in the placing of your scares to win the war against the crows.
3. Crow repellent
If all else fails, use a crow repellent before you snap out of your sanity. This could be a sticky glue you can put on poles or fences where the crows tend to land first. It will irritate them and send them flying away. However, the trick here is to make sure that your veggies and fruits won’t be the next target. On the next point, you’ll learn about this.
Of course, you can’t just spray insecticides on your garden or that would kill your plants. One thing that you can use is an ultrasonic device that you can plant near your edibles. Get the TRANMIX Ultrasonic Electric Animal Repeller to have peace of mind. This device emits distressing sounds that will drive any stray animal away. Just be mindful because even domesticated dogs and cats could be affected by the sound you use in protecting crops from crows.
It also has a motion detector that can reach up to 30 feet so when a crow gets in the scene, they will be shocked by a streak of high-frequency sounds.
4. Practice netting
If the ultrasonic and pest repeller gels don’t work, the most effective method is netting. If the crows are very invasive and keep on eating your berries and other crops, make sure to fix the net properly. Staples and stakes would do the job here but ensure that there would be no gaps on the top and bottom that the crows can easily peck and get into. Remember, these birds are clever.
For a durable choice of bird net, get the De-Bird Heavy Duty Bird Netting. This 3/5-inch mesh will secure your plants against the crows and other animals that keep destroying your garden harvest. Netting is an eco-friendly choice since it doesn’t harm any bird or animals plus it doesn’t use harmful chemicals that will sabotage your means of protecting crops from crows.
Bird netting isn’t just for garden use. Even those with big farms will benefit from this method against crows. This is made of heavy-duty polycarbonate that you can cut without unraveling. The net will last seasons before needing replacement and there’s no way crows can peck their way into it.
5. Bird spikes
Bird spikes are perch repellents usually made of polycarbonate or steel to last long. Spikes can’t be seen from the air when the crows are flying. When they try to roost, it would be impossible for them to have a stable stance. What they’ll do is fly away and look for another place to pester. But for this to work in favor of your crops, you have to partner it with netting and other methods.
Bird spikes can be installed on your fences, trees, and other places where the crows tend to flock. The Bird-X Stainless Steel Spikes is one of the best commercial options that you’ll find for this purpose. It’s made of stainless steel that won’t corrode even if repeatedly dumped with bird droppings. One pack of this spikes can cover up to 10 straight feet. Each of the spikes has a flexible mid-part so you can wrap it around poles in protecting crops from crows.
6. Traps
Crow traps is also a choice if you have the time to spend catching those bird intruders and setting them off in a different place. Although it entails a lot of work, it’s a guaranteed way to stop them from pecking on your vegetables on the garden.
You can purchase a commercially made trap or do it on your own. Besides, there’s not much about traps except for the fact that it can catch crows. I really don’t encourage the use of killer traps since your locality might not be allowing such manner of bird proofing. Still, it’s up to you which one you’re going to use.
7. Get the shiny things working
Flash tapes, aluminum windmills, and laser lights are just some of the successful means of protecting crops from crows. Scare tapes glimmer in the wind when struck with light plus it also produces a clattering sound during a windy day. You can use this together with a shiny replica of a predator like owls and hawks. In case you can’t buy these commercial options, you can tie used CDs on your garden to drive off the crows. It’s an aesthetic substitute but clean it regularly to maintain the shimmer.
Bright-colored balloons and flags can also startle crows and send them away. Again, it’s all about being consistent with the placing of these methods. Don’t let it sit still for more than two days or the crows will outsmart you and invade your garden.
8. Fake dead crow
Halloween stuff can be very helpful when you’re trying to fight off the crows. If you have a fake crow, you can hang it upside down on your garden. This will imply a message that a crow already died in the place, thus, an imminent danger for those living. Aside from the usual damaging of crops, one problem about crows is they also nest on houses and other people’s yards. The sight of this seemingly dead crow will send chills to their tiny bodies. Pair it with the ultrasonic device and crows will be gone soon.
The more realistic the fake crow is, the better. Place it on where the crows are nesting and they will surely leave you and your garden alone. But don’t be too relaxed about this method in protecting crops from crows. Create a variation on the placing of the fake dead bird so the crows would think that there are numerous casualties on your property. Although effective, this visual technique is just a temporary solution.
9. Change the tricks habitually
Crows are smart and they would know for such a short time if you’re just tricking them to go away. This is if you don’t vary the placement of your scares. You need to have many gimmicks on your sleeves to alternate and perform consistently. If you’re using a scarecrow, move it every day so the crows will think that it’s an actual being. This is also the same with your loud noises. Sometimes, it may not work and the crows wouldn’t budge.
The fake dead crow shouldn’t be sitting in the same place for days or it will be another useless scare. The shiny things should also be moving to confuse and scare the birds.
If the birds tend to get used to your shouting, chase them away with clattering pans. That’s how you level up the threat to avoid the crows form being complacent. Be as creative as you can be in doing these tricks.
10. Combined methods
All these methods in protecting crops from crows work individually but only in a limited period of time. You have to experiment in case your initial efforts don’t work. For example, if you have corn on you garden-cum-small farm, you can use an ultrasonic device and place cups on the ears with the silk that already turned brown. Mix and match these methods and you’ll surely get rid of the crows in no time.
Still, bird proofing against crows is a work in progress. The job is never done until you harvest your edibles. Laxing on the implementation of your “crow dispersal plan” would mean damaged crops and less harvest.
You might not want to kill those crows…
Yes, crows are damaging beings, but you might want to think twice before blowing them off. Some states allow the killing of crows while others don’t. Crows aren’t protected species but you should seek a local permit to hunt crows if it keeps on damaging your edible foliage. Check the laws and rules on your region especially if it’s off season for hunting.
On second thought, killing crows would require cleaning and disposing of the bodies. You might drive yourself crazy waiting for the next crow to go near your garden.
You can outsmart the crows!
Crows could be the most clever bird, but you can always outsmart them. It’s not through target shooting them but by using quiet and non-violent means. You can have a start on netting and ultrasonic sounds. From there, you can experiment and try other means of warding off the destructive birds.
Protecting crops from crows is important to ensure that your planting efforts won’t go to waste. There are simple and easy ways to do this that will just take a few steps. Still, consistency is the key here if you want everything to work with less effort. Besides, there are commercial solutions that you can purchase like those I stated above.
Do you know more tips to send the crows away? Share it with us below!
