Are Garden Pests Good or Bad?

On a beautiful day, the sky is blue, the grass is green, the birds are lightly chirping, a baby bunny sits in the dandelion thicket and a mother deer emerges timidly from the forest. Yet, if you’re a gardener, this picturesque portrait of nature could quickly become a nightmare. The birds are squawking, leaving bird seed, feathers and droppings all over your swimming pool and porch as they swoop down to feast on your grass and plant seeds. That little bunny has devoured all of your pansies, snapdragons, lilacs and blueberry plants. The deer chewed up your trees and left a mess littering your lawn. It doesn’t take long before you try to regain control of your yard with something like the Easy Gardener 8021 Garden Defense Electronic Owl – Sound and Motion Sensored.

The manufacturer of the Easy Gardener 8021 Garden Defense Electronic Owl – Sound and Motion Sensored says that this owl “frightens birds, squirrels, rabbits, rodents and other destructive pests,” while also making “an attractive lawn ornament or patio accent.” To use, you simply install the owl on a pole or hang it from a tree. Some people perch the owl up high, while others put it closer to the areas it’s protecting. Sound and motion sensors pick up the movement of animals and cause the owl to elicit a realistic “HOOT!” This model of the Great Horned Owl is intimidating to many other animals and runs off three AA batteries. For the best results, the manufacturer says you should “reposition the owl decoy every few days.”

The ideal use for the Easy Gardener 8021 Garden Defense Electronic Owl – Sound and Motion Sensored is to deter porch pests. Most of the satisfied customers reported having pigeons, sparrows and woodpeckers terrorizing their porches with feathers, nests, seeds, droppings and destruction. Ideally, you should set the owl under a covered area, where it won’t get hit by too many elements, and move the decoy every few days so the animals don’t get too used to it. You will probably need to replace the batteries every two months or so to keep it functioning. Squirrels are also easily deterred by this humane home and garden product.

One reviewer at www.yardlover.com complained, “Maybe I got a defective one, but during the daytime, it never worked. The birds were feasting on my grass seed. But the first night, the darn thing moved its head and hooted all night long while the contented birds slept on a full stomach! The next morning I heard a complaint from the neighbor. I’m sending it back.” Similarly, another reviewer at www.tipshopping.com reported that the owl only hooted and moved once. Some consumers also argue that the owl is “cheaply made.” A consumer reported, “There are some flaws that need attending… it is not water proof.” This reviewer added that some of the plastic breaks off as well. “This Owl worked great until it rained, and then it went wacky!” says another dissatisfied customer. “Now it goes off when the wind blows and sometimes for no apparent reason!” It seems the Easy Gardener 8021 Garden Defense Electronic Owl – Sound and Motion Sensored held a lot of promise but could use some tweaking of its many flaws.

Beth Kaminski is a leading expert in how to end panic attacks and has been publishing lots of information on the best anxiety attack medication for years now at www.anxietydisordercure.com.

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