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Motion Detector Deer Repellents
Motion detectors are not on all mechanical deer repellents,but they can make all the difference on whether of not the repellent will be effective. Some people even make their own motion sensors or buy commercially available sensors and add them to their own controllers. There are two products that stand out when we talk about deer controls with sensors. The Scarecrow, the original product that senses deer, then shoots them with water from a hose, and The Guardener which built on that idea and added solar panels and a holding tank for the water so it can be moved anywhere.
The ScarecrowThe Scarecrow™ - This
motion-activated sprinkler attaches to the garden hose. Just hook it
up to your garden hose, plug in the 9-Volt battery and then place the
stake in the ground near area to be protected. When an animal is
seen, a valve opens, and instantly releases a three-second pulsating spray
of water. The combination of the sudden noise, movement, and water
frightens animals away. It is a clean alternative to
repellant, but is limited to the distance the water can
spray. Both a pro and con is that it is motion activated
sensing motion and
heat the same way security lights work. This motion could be deer, your dog or cat, or you. One scarecrow can cover up to 1,000 square feet.
Jeff McCormack
I have three motion detecting sprinklers, two made by Contech (ScareCrow) and one by Havahart. Both of them are excellent for repelling deer (two years of experience with high deer pressure) but the Contech ScareCrow is more dependable. Although the Scarecrow sprinkler is more expensive, it is worth the price. The Havahart does not come with a guarantee other than a 30 day return policy whereas the Contech ScareCrow sprinkler has a two year warranty and they stand behind it. I had one fail after 22 months of use and they replaced it promptly. Also the motion detecting range, sensitivity, and adjustment is more stable and dependable in the Contech ScareCrow. The only time I've not had the ScareCrow work was during a period of very high humidity during some rainy weather when it failed to go off during a period of less than a day. On the other hand the Havahart motion sprinkler is much more erratic in its performance and sometimes fails to work for brief periods.
The Guardener
Havahart 5265 Motion Activated Water RepellentMotion activated water repellent chases wild animals away from landscape and gardens
Spray Away senses the animal by using heat and movement for efficacy
Spray Away pauses for 8 seconds after firing, creating randomness, preventing the animal from becoming accustomed to the repellent
Water shoots 35 feet in length, protects 1000 square feet
Uses 9 volt battery power for thousands of activations.
"I bought this item as a way to keep rabbits out of rose bushes. I was skeptical when I bought it, but thought I would try it. Took us a while to fine tune the motion sensor and the sprayer. We have it by our front porch, and didn't want to spray ourselves as we walked to the front door! We've had it set up for over a month, and as far as I can tell, the rabbits haven't gotten close to the roses! Word of caution: If the spray range is set too narrow, the sprinker tends to get stuck and doesn't move back and forth. Setting the spray range wider seems to correct the problem."
Janet Ellis KS
"This product saved our vegetable garden. Deer and rabbits were decimating it until we set this up. I bought another one so we could have coverage from both ends."
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